NWSL Unveils Broadcast Schedule, Makes New NWSL+ Streaming Service Free to Fans for Upcoming 2024 Season

Amazon Prime Video gets 27 exclusive matches and ESPN/ABC gets 20 matches

 The National Women’s Soccer League announced the schedule and broadcast details for the 2024 NWSL regular season, which marks the beginning of the league’s landmark four-year domestic media rights agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports that will see 121 matches, including 113 regular season contests, all seven playoff fixtures, and the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup , featured on national platforms throughout the season. The remaining matches will be available on NWSL+, the league’s first-ever direct-to-consumer streaming platform.

A New Broadcasting Chapter: Prime Video, Scripps, CBS Sports, and ESPN

In total, each team will compete in 26 regular season matches, 13 at home and 13 on the road. Throughout the 2024 season, 121 matches will be distributed across the following partner platforms:

• The NWSL will begin each regular season weekend with Friday night matches on Prime Video.
• Each Saturday night that follows will include a double-header on Scripps-owned ION network, available over-the-air in 123 million homes.
• A package of regular season matches will air on The CBS Television Network and stream live on Paramount+, with additional matches airing on CBS Sports Network.
• ESPN will air a package of matches across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN Deportes (Spanish). All NWSL matches on ESPN platforms and on ABC will stream live on ESPN+ in English and Spanish. The package also includes English, Spanish and Portuguese-language rights in Latin America.

The remaining matches will be available on NWSL+, the league’s first-ever direct-to-consumer streaming platform. NWSL+ is free to all fans tuning in to matches across the U.S. and available to download on all iOS/Android devices, as well as streaming TV distributors Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku. In addition to match coverage, highlights, select replays and additional league and club content will also be available for free on the app.

Details regarding international distribution will be announced in the coming weeks.

A New Postseason Format Debuts as NWSL Championship Return to CBS, Paramount+

The regular season concludes on Sunday, November 3 ahead of the NWSL playoffs. As part of the league’s expanded postseason format, eight clubs will qualify for the quarterfinal round taking place the weekend of November 9-10. The semifinal round kicks off the weekend of November 16-17 ahead of the NWSL Championship on November 23.

CBS and Prime Video will have rights to one quarterfinal each while ESPN/ABC will air the remaining pair of quarterfinal matches. CBS and ESPN/ABC will also host one semifinal contest each.

For the third-straight season, the NWSL Championship will air live in primetime on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+. Additional notable coverage across CBS platforms includes four matches featuring current NWSL champion Gotham FC, including a CBS doubleheader on August 24 leading off with the club hosting the Portland Thorns followed by the San Diego Wave at home against rival Angel City.

Click HERE for the full CBS Sports Schedule.

Prime Video Kicks Off Its Inaugural Season of NWSL Coverage with 27 Exclusive Matches Throughout 2024 Season

Prime Video kicks off its inaugural season of NWSL coverage with 27 total matches throughout the course of the 2024 season, including streaming 25 regular-season games, one quarterfinal playoff game in November, and the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. The newly reformatted Challenge Cup, streaming on Friday, March 15 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, will officially welcome viewers to Prime Video’s season-long coverage and feature the defending NWSL Champion NJ/NY Gotham FC hosting the San Diego Wave FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. The addition of these NWSL matches brings more premium soccer to Prime, which provides unparalleled savings, convenience, and entertainment, all in a single membership.

All 25 of Prime Video’s regular-season contests will stream on Friday nights throughout the season, with kickoff each week slated for 8:00 p.m. or 10:00 p.m. EDT. The schedule includes every team across the league, loaded with star-power, including defending champions NJ/NY Gotham FC – featuring newly signed stars Crystal Dunn and Rose Lavelle – twice, NWSL shield winners San Diego Wave FC and Alex Morgan five times, 2023 runner-up Seattle Reign and Jess Fishlock six times, and Becky Sauerbrunn, reigning NWSL MVP Sophia Smith and the Portland Thorns five times, who finished second overall last year in the standings.

As announced earlier, Prime Video will handle the production of each game. Details, including on-air talent, will be announced in the coming weeks.

The NWSL on Prime Video will be available to fans in the United States and Canada across hundreds of compatible devices worldwide, streaming from the web, or using the Prime Video app on smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and connected TVs. Click HERE for the full schedule.

ABC and ESPN Preps for 17 Regular Season, Three Playoff Matches in 2024

ABC and ESPN platforms will combine to showcase a total of 20 matches during the 2024 NWSL season, the 12th season of the premier women’s professional soccer league. ABC will air four games, including the season-opener on March 16 and three playoff matches. ESPN will televise seven matches, ESPN2 will air nine, and ESPN Deportes will broadcast 13 games in Spanish. All 20 games in the ESPN package will stream live in both English and Spanish on ESPN+.

ABC’s coverage of NWSL will begin on Saturday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. ET (kick at 1 p.m.) with the live presentation of the regular-season opener between Kansas City Current and Portland Thorns FC and the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium, the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s professional sports team. ESPN+ will stream the game live, and ESPN Deportes will televise the Current-Thorns match in Spanish. The regular-season opener marks the first ABC broadcast of an NWSL match.

Highlights of the schedule include:

• 13 of the 17 regular-season games on ABC and ESPN platforms will feature at least one 2023 NWSL Playoff team or expansion club – Bay FC and Utah Royals FC.
• NJ/NY Gotham FC, the 2023 NWSL Champions, leads all clubs with seven regular-season appearances, followed by Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, Racing Louisville FC, Seattle Reign, each with three appearances.
• Kansas City Current’s CPKC Stadium, the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s professional sports team, will host two matches on ESPN platforms: the stadium opener on Saturday, March 16th, on ABC, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes; and Kansas City-Angel City on Saturday, March 30, on ESPN and ESPN+.
• NJ/NY Gotham hosts Seattle Reign in a rematch of the 2023 NWSL Championship, won by Gotham FC, on Sunday, June 30.
  ABC’s broadcast of three NWSL postseason games: Quarterfinals doubleheader on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 12:30 p.m. ET and 3 p.m.; and a Semifinal on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 2:30 p.m.

Click HERE for the full ESPN/ABC schedule.