ESPN Picks Up Second Half Of U.S. Women’s Pro Soccer Season

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup stoking interest in the female game, ESPN has grabbed rights to the second half of the U.S. women’s pro league.

ESPN and the National Women’s Soccer League, featuring more than 55 players competing in the 2019 World Cup, announced yesterday an agreement to televise 14 league matches during the 2019 season starting in July 14.

Eight matches will air on ESPNEWS, and the remaining six, including the two semi-finals and the championship, will air on ESPN2.

All NWSL match telecasts on ESPN networks will stream live on the ESPN App.

“We are pleased to once again televise the National Women’s Soccer League and showcase many of the world’s top female players when they return to their professional club teams,” said Burke Magnus, Executive Vice President, Programming and Scheduling, ESPN. “The success and excitement of the World Cup in France has been on full display and the NWSL represents the best women’s club soccer in the world.”

NWSL President Amanda Duffy said: “NWSL is a global leader in women’s professional soccer, with collectively the most talented players in the world.  Together with the reach of ESPN’s vast network, we have the opportunity to bring more games to a broader audience across the country and world. Even in the year leading up to the Women’s World Cup, we have continued to experience tremendous growth through the support, engagement, and visibility from our fans.”

Last year, NWSL set an attendance record with more than 650,000 spectators, and the 2018 NWSL Championship drew a sell-out crowd of 21,144.