The '17 NWSL season kicks off Saturday, and Managing Dir Amanda Duffy believes the league is "finally at a point where it can begin to formulate a long-term vision and strategy for the future," according to Alicia DelGallo of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. A new partnership makes A&E Networks an "equity investor that will broadcast one NWSL match a week on Lifetime." The NWSL also has "two new ownership groups: last year's Western New York Flash are now the North Carolina Courage" and FC K.C. was sold to North Central Equity CEO Elam Baer in January. The Orlando Pride will also "directly contribute to the league’s growing buzz and fan base this season, with the recent signing of five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta." But the league still has "work to be done." Despite "minimum salaries nearly doubling this year, they’re still a meager $15,000, and the salary cap for 20-player rosters is at $315,000." Duffy took over after Commissioner Jeff Plush stepped down in March (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/12).
HOWDY PARTNER: MULTICHANNEL NEWS' Jeff Baumgartner noted Verizon-owned streaming service go90 "scored a multi-year deal to be the exclusive streaming partner" for NWSL in the U.S. for all games "save for the league’s Game of the Week on Lifetime." go90 said that it will "feature 98 NWSL games live and via on-demand" for the '17 season, "offering them at go90.com or the service’s iOS and Android apps." Viewers with go90 version 3.0 or later can also "cast the games to TVs in tandem with Apple AirPlay and the Google Chromecast streaming adapter." The matches will be "produced by Vista WorldLink in HD and feature halftime shows and pre- and post-game shows" (MULTICHANNEL.com, 4/13).
STAYING THE COURSE: The GUARDIAN's Beau Dure wrote, "Last year, the news on the NWSL was that it had officially outlasted the two previous attempts at US women’s professional soccer, the WUSA and WPS." This year, the league has "substantially raised the bar from mere survival." But the NWSL's offseason was not "free from drama." Some players of all ages "opted to go overseas," and Plush "surprisingly stepped down in March, one month after announcing" the deal with A&E Networks. But the new minimum salary is "well ahead of the wages minor-league baseball players are suing to raise" (GUARDIAN, 4/13).
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: In Oregon, Jamie Goldberg noted the Portland Thorns have "consistently had by far the best fan base in the NWSL -- and likely the best fan base for a women's club soccer team in the world." The club "averaged an incredible 16,945 fans per game" in '16. In comparison, the Pride, the "second most well-attended team in the NWSL, averaged just 8,785." The Thorns host the Pride for the league opener Saturday at Providence Park, the "first-ever Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week" (OREGONLIVE.com, 4/13). In DC, Steven Goff notes the Washington Spirit's star power "is gone," as the club is the "only NWSL side without any players from the world champion U.S. national team, which forms the foundation of the 10-team league." The Thorns employ five, the Chicago Red Stars four (WASHINGTON POST, 4/14).
