The National Women’s Soccer League has reached agreements with CBS Sports and Twitch on exclusive broadcast rights for all matches over the next three seasons.
CBS’s flagship linear network will carry the NWSL season-opener on Saturday, April 18, as well as the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 14; this marks the first broadcast network coverage of live pro women’s soccer in the U.S. The company’s cable channel, CBS Sports Network, will show 14 matches including both semifinals, and its subscription streaming service, CBS All Access, will air 71 matches.
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Amazon-owned Twitch, which is best known for esports streams but also has shown NFL Thursday Night Football games, has rights to 24 matches in the U.S. The digital media platform is also the exclusive international partner, showing all 111 combined regular season and playoff matches. A full broadcast schedule is available on the NWSL website.
“The NWSL is elated to partner with CBS Sports and Twitch, two incredible media companies with a proven track record of award-winning coverage,” NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement. “This new media-rights agreement is a watershed moment for women’s soccer in the U.S. and around the world, and is the first time NWSL matches will be available to such a wide audience.
“We are excited to work with CBS with its rich history, tradition and storied innovation to utilize the power of their multiple platforms to reach more fans. We also are eager to team up with Twitch to showcase the brightest stars in the sport. These partnerships will continue to amplify the NWSL and its teams on a national and international stage.”
