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    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.
    By
    Nov 01, 2022 | 12:19 pm
    UPDATED Nov 01, 2022 | 01:50 pm
    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.

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    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.

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