• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

NWSL Inks Partnership Aimed At Closing Equal Pay Gap

  • The deal will make UKG the title sponsor for the 2023 Challenge Cup — but will begin benefiting players’ pocketbooks this year.
  • Player bonuses will go up 10x this year.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

HR company UKG has signed a deal with the NWSL that will directly increase player compensation, the two companies announced on Friday.

The league is calling the multiyear partnership, brokered by Elevate Sports Ventures, “the first-ever women’s professional soccer tournament to achieve pay equity with its U.S. peers in the men’s game” — in this case, the MLS Cup.

UKG will become the title sponsor for the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup — but the deal will begin benefiting players’ pocketbooks this year. 

For the 2022 Challenge Cup, which will crown a champion on Saturday, player bonuses will pay out $10,000 for the winners, $5,000 for the runners-up, and $1,500 for the semifinalists, a source close to the deal told Front Office Sports. That’s more than 10 times as high as last year. 

And in 2023, the entire pool will almost double again, reaching $1 million, the source said.

The brand has also inked deals with Christen Press and Sydney Leroux.

“We have fought long and hard for pay equal to that of our male counterparts, and we need more people to take a stand on closing the pay gap and fighting for fair and consistent pay for everyone,” Press said in a statement.

The news builds on positive momentum for women’s professional soccer after a major sexual assault scandal revealed last year caused a reckoning in the NWSL.

In February, USWNT players agreed to a preliminary settlement in their equal pay lawsuit. 

Last week, the league’s new commissioner, Jessica Berman, and NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke ratified the first-ever NWSL collective bargaining agreement. They inked it during the pregame of the inaugural match of the league’s newest expansion team, Angel City FC. 

The match was played in front of 22,000 fans — a league record, Berman said at the ESPNW Summit on Wednesday, adding, “What else do we need to do to prove that women’s sports has business value?”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

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

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang celebrates during a team celebration lap after the playoff semifinal match against NJ/NY Gotham FC at Audi Field.

Michele Kang to Lead Lyon As UEFA Delays Multi-Club Ownership Ruling

Lyon’s Europa League fate remains unclear as Michele Kang replaces John Textor.
Jun 10, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) drops back to pass during minicamp at their South Side facility.
opinion

Steelers Win-Now Mode Is Good News for NFL Media Partners

The conservative “Steeler Way” has finally adapted—and media partners are happy.

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

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

Featured Today

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.”
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

Rockets Get $20 Million in Wiggle Room From New VanVleet Deal

VanVleet first signed with the Rockets in 2023.
April 20, 2025

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
June 24, 2025

Timberwolves’ 4-Year Ownership Saga Ends As A-Rod, Lore Take Over

The unanimous approval brought a clean end to a long-disputed transaction.
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.
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
March 4, 2025

Eagles Make Saquon Barkley NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back Ever

Barkley is coming off a historic 2024 season with the Eagles.