Business of National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Property Profile, Sponsorship and Media Landscape

Business of NWSL Report Overview

The annual sponsorship revenue for NWSL 2023 is estimated to be $26 million. Attendance and viewership in the NWSL have both increased in recent years. The first weekend of the 2023 season averaged 15,002 fans across the six games, eclipsing last year’s record of 10,150 during the opening weekend. San Diego Wave’s opening round victory over Chicago Red Stars accrued an audience of 30,854 attendees, the largest ever attendance recorded for an opening fixture. The opening round of the inaugural 2013 season averaged 3,321 attendees, proving monumental growth over the last decade.

The Business of NWSL research report provides an overview of the current situation regarding kit supplier, shirt sponsor, and sleeve sponsor deals for all 12 NWSL teams. It also identifies the current state of the NWSL’s media landscape. This report looks at the league’s social media following, in comparison to other women’s leagues around Europe, as well as the participating clubs.

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Business of NWSL – Broadcasters

The NWSL’s media landscape in 2023 consists of six broadcasting deals for streaming rights of the league, Playoffs, and Challenge Cup. The key broadcasters are DAZN, Endeavor, CBS, Just Women’s Sports, TSN, and TIGO. CBS Sports cover the US regions, streaming six NWSL matches, as well as the playoffs and Championship match.

Endeavor provides live coverage on the NWSL website globally, whilst JWS provides highlights on their platform in the US. Before the NWSL’s own OTT platform powered by Endeavor, NWSL matches were streamed internationally on Twitch.

In addition to strong marketing and promotional support from all network partners, NWSL TV rights agreements with Pay-Tv broadcasters TSN in Canada and TIGO Sports across the Central American region cover the 2023 season.

DAZN acquired the non-exclusive rights for the NWSL’s 2023 season for their key markets in Europe, adding to their growing portfolio of women’s football media rights.

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Business of NWSL – League Sponsorship

The NWSL has amassed a sizable and profitable sponsorship portfolio. The League offers commercial partners the opportunity to build long-term relationships with loyal and passionate soccer fans while also being a part of the NWSL’s growing journey with rising global popularity on TV and in arenas, as well as a heightened sense of commercialization.

The key sponsors for NWSL are Nike, Ally, Voyager Digital, Delta Airlines, and Mastercard among others. The NWSL’s most lucrative deal is with Nike. The deal sees Nike become the official kit supplier for every NWSL club and has done so since the league’s inaugural season in 2013, with Nike being one of the founding partners in 2012.

Business of NWSL Analysis by League Sponsorship

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Business of NWSL – Brand Breakdown

The key brands involved in the NWSL are Orlando Health, Shell Energy, Exploria Resorts, Algorand, Doordash, CIBS U.S, and Fubo among others. Orlando Health spends the most of any brand on sponsorship with NWSL clubs, with all of the spending going on joint front-of-shirt sponsorship with Orlando Pride and MLS club, Orlando City.

Business of NWSL Analysis by Brands

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Scope

• This report provides an overview of the current situation regarding kit supplier, shirt sponsor, and sleeve sponsor deals for all 12 NWSL teams.
• It also identifies the current state of the NWSL’s media landscape. This report looks at the league’s social media following, in comparison to other women’s leagues around Europe, as well as the participating clubs.
• The report provides a detailed analysis of all 12 teams in the NWSL, their current sponsorship outlook as well as expiring deals, and newer upcoming ones that have been agreed upon.
• A detailed look at the league’s sponsorship portfolio and generated revenue, as well as the challenges involved in growing the league’s commercial profile.

Key Highlights

With over 500,000 followers on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Orlando Pride is currently the most popular team in the NWSL. The least popular team in the league is Racing Louisville, with a combined social media following of 76,887. Angel City FC is the most appealing team to watch live in stadiums in the NWSL, with an average attendance of 19,105. The NWSL Playoffs draw millions of Americans each year to tune in for the conclusion of the NWSL season. Last year’s Championship game between Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current averaged 915,000 viewers on CBS Sports, up 71 percent from the 2021 Championship game, which averaged 525,000 viewers. The NWSL’s most lucrative deal is with Nike. The deal sees Nike become the official kit supplier for every NWSL club and has done so since the league’s inaugural season in 2013, with Nike being one of the founding partners in 2012.

Reasons to Buy

• For those wanting an in-depth analysis of how the NWSL is currently performing.
• General metrics for the NWSL such as attendance numbers and social media followings are included.
• The report will also be of interest to those who are interested in the kinds of brands that have sponsorship deals in place with the NWSL, and its clubs. Identified are the most prevalent sectors and brands, as well as the biggest revenue generators of these aforementioned sectors.