• Loading stock data...
Monday, July 7, 2025

NWSL Championship Draws League Record Viewership

  • A record viewing audience of 915,000 watched the Portland Thorns claim their third title.
  • The match represented the league’s first time on a broadcast network in primetime.
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Women’s professional soccer continues to gain popularity with American fans.

A record viewing audience of 915,000 tuned in to watch the Portland Thorns defeat the Kansas City Current 2-0 to claim their third NWSL title on Saturday.

That makes it the most-watched match in league history and represents a 71% increase from last season’s championship, also played on a Saturday.

Part of the reason for the bump in viewership was likely the match’s presence on CBS in a primetime slot — the first time that has happened in league history.

Overall, 2022 represented a landmark season for the nine-year-old league.

Women’s Soccer Is Growing and Drawing More Investors

Clubs’ commercial revenue increased 33% year-over-year.
October 31, 2022

In addition to the uptick in viewership for the final, the NWSL set multiple attendance records this season, including several single-game records and most overall over the course of the season (1,042,063).

It’s all led to a bigger bottom line for the sport as a whole: The number of title sponsors for women’s soccer leagues grew 11% since 2021, while club commercial revenue increased 33% and league commercial revenue jumped 24% year-over-year.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Liverpool to Pay Diogo Jota’s $20M Contract to His Widow

Jota had two years remaining on his contract.

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

Paramount Settles Trump Suit Ahead of NFL Season, Skydance Merger

The deal likely allows the much larger Skydance merger deal to proceed.
Manchester City

Manchester City Pockets $50 Million for Early Club World Cup Elimination

Saudi side Al-Hilal will bank at least $35 million in its quarterfinal run.

Featured Today

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Leo Messi

TNT, Club World Cup Ride Messi to Surprisingly Solid Debut Ratings

TNT Sports carries about a third of matches in the U.S.
June 23, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2019, but Series Drops 9%

Game 7 drew 16.35 million viewers, the most-watched NBA game since 2019.
June 24, 2025

Fever vs. Aces Draws 5th-Largest TV Audience of 2025 WNBA Season

ESPN will carry seven more Indiana Fever games this year.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 19, 2025

Pacers Force Game 7, Could Spark Big Ratings Boost for NBA Finals

Game 7 could boost NBA Finals ratings after a slow start this year.
June 17, 2025

Stanley Cup Final Delivers Drama but Struggles for Eyeballs in U.S.

U.S. viewership fell while Canadian audiences for the event rose slightly.
June 17, 2025

Streaming Tops Linear for First Time, Sports Still Key to TV’s Resilience

Streaming hits another critical milestone in an accelerating media transition.
June 17, 2025

Zaslav Takes Pay Cut, TNT Sports Future Unclear in WBD Shake-Up

The TNT Sports parent company retools its executive pay after shareholder pushback.