Tv Viewing Figures For The Nwsl Are Down – Is There Cause For Concern?

Halfway done nan NWSL’s 13th regular season, nan convention reported TV ratings were trending down. But August has already shown glimmers of betterment and discourse adds important caveats to that downward slope.

As first reported by Sports Business Journal, erstwhile nan convention took a month-long break midway done nan twelvemonth this July, ratings were down by 8% crossed their multi-platform media partnership. That partnership, which is now successful its 2nd year, was signed successful November 2023 pinch CBS, ESPN, ION (Scripps Sports) and Prime Video for a woody worthy $240m– a immense summation from their erstwhile one-party business pinch CBS worthy $4.5m. In its first year, nan convention saw a large uptick successful viewing numbers arsenic matches proliferated crossed a assortment of outlets, reaching a wider audience.

At nan adjacent of nan 2024 season, Nielsen measured a five-fold summation successful full viewership (18.7m) crossed each platforms from nan erstwhile year. The title lucifer became nan most-watched crippled successful convention history, peaking astatine 1.1m viewers and averaging 967,000 connected CBS. That match– which saw a record-breaking Orlando Pride squad conclusion nan Washington Spirit, marking Brazilian seasoned Marta’s first NWSL title connected a section packed pinch caller Olympians – clocked an 18% summation successful mean viewers from 2023.

Mexico guardant Lizbeth Ovalle has joined Orlando Pride for a women’s world-record transportation fee. Photograph: Marcio José Sánchez/AP

A assortment of factors whitethorn person been down this year’s mid-season dip, pinch nan convention pointing towards missing stars arsenic 1 imaginable impact. As an example, each 3 members of nan USWNT’s guardant line, who mixed for 10 goals astatine past year’s Olympics – Sophia Wilson (née Smith), Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman – person been absent for astir of nan 2025 play arsenic nan first 2 are connected maternity time off and Rodman successful rehab for chronic backmost pain. Rodman has since returned to nan section for nan Spirit and location are hopes her prima powerfulness whitethorn assistance end-of-season momentum.

Notably, NWSL successful 2025 is simply a convention pinch an breathtaking array of world stars who represented their countries successful grounds numbers astatine a spate of world tournaments this July. Their return to nan convention aft large performances astatine nan Women’s Euros, Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, and Copa América Femenina whitethorn besides thief boost interest.

For example, ION’s numbers had been trending down successful 2025 (as opposed to ESPN, which has trended up truthful acold this season) but an early look astatine ION viewing numbers for August show a patient increase, pinch an mean of 162,750 viewers done nan first 4 weekends of August. ION’s Saturday allotment of games features a play slate of back-to-back matchups, pinch this month’s 16 August duo clocking an mean assemblage of 188,000 – nan highest of nan first 4 weeks successful August. Among that evening’s games was a California confrontation betwixt San Diego Wave and Bay FC, which saw recently returned world players connected either side, including nan Zambia guardant Racheal Kundananji.

San Diego Wave featured a fewer Euro 2025 quarter-finalists successful Sweden defender Hanna Lundkvist and France guardant Delphine Cascarino. With Mexican guardant Lizbeth Ovalle group to subordinate Orlando Pride for nan second half of nan play aft breaking nan women’s transportation grounds yet again successful 2025, and Spanish striker Esther González (who vanished apical scorer astatine Euro 2025) going toe-to-toe each play pinch Malawi guardant Temwa Chawinga successful a intimately contested Golden Boot race, observers tin expect breathtaking world stars extracurricular of nan USWNT to proceed driving eyeballs nan person nan convention gets to nan playoffs.

Fans capable Oracle Park, location of baseball’s San Francisco Giants, for a lucifer betwixt Bay FC and Washington Spirit. Photograph: Benjamin Fanjoy/AP

With viewing numbers yet to beryllium confirmed for each of August’s matches, location person still been a fewer curveballs affecting plans. That includes a much than three-hour upwind hold to a highly-touted televised lucifer betwixt Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride (which was yet played amid scorching Missouri power successful a lucifer that saw Orlando Pride apical scorer Barbra Banda depart nan transportation pinch a season-ending injury). But nan convention has its oculus connected end-of-season games that look apt to boost wide numbers for nan 2025 season. Most immediately, that includes Alex Morgan’s status ceremonial lucifer airing this play connected ESPN.

Asked for comment, nan convention maintained assurance that viewing numbers would turn arsenic we adjacent nan last weeks of nan season. As Jennifer Levine, vice-president of nationalist relations and communications astatine nan NWSL, said: “As nan title to nan shield intensifies and playoffs get closer, we expect that moreover much viewers will want to tune successful to nan competition.”

Quote of nan day

“As women successful athletics we tin really instrumentality together successful moving each our sports forward.” England and Arsenal guardant Chloe Kelly while successful attendance astatine nan Women’s Rugby World Cup.

England footballer Chloe Kelly watches England’s rugby national broadside hit Samoa successful Northampton. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

Talking points

Getting closer: The 2nd qualifying information of nan Women’s Champions League concluded complete nan play and 18 teams person reached nan last round, to beryllium played betwixt 11-18 September. That includes Manchester United, who will play Norwegian broadside Brann arsenic they dream to make nan convention shape for nan first time. Four-time European champions Eintracht Frankfurt will request to hit Real Madrid to progress.

Brann will look Manchester United aft beating Braga successful nan 2nd qualifying round. Photograph: Luca Bruno/AP

Florida gets ready: After a successful first World Sevens Football tourney successful Portugal which saw Bayern Munich hit Manchester United for nan inaugural trophy, a 2nd tourney has been confirmed for this December successful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Bids submitted: The last bids for nan adjacent Women’s Euros are in. Germany, Poland, Portugal, and a associated bid betwixt Sweden and Denmark will vie to big nan adjacent version successful 2029, pinch nan winners to beryllium revealed successful a ceremonial successful Nyon connected 3 December.

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One week aft scoring a hat-trick against North Carolina, 30-year-old Brazilian guardant Ludmila scored another beautiful goal for nan Stars, earning nan struggling broadside a 1-1 tie against second-placed Spirit.

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