The NWSL yesterday unveiled the schedule for the month-long Challenge Cup that will begin later in June, though it is still unknown whether the event “will represent the entirety of the NWSL's action in 2020 or if a truncated regular season will be able to be played later in the year,” according to Avi Creditor of SI.com. Any action beyond the Challenge Cup “all depends on the status of the pandemic and the safety in each of the league's nine markets.” However, just the fact that the league is returning “in some facet in itself is a triumph.” The Challenge Cup begins on June 27 and features an “18-game preliminary stage, after which eight of the nine teams will advance to a single-elimination knockout bracket to crown the champion.” The NWSL is set to be the “first major pro sports league back in action in the United States after the coronavirus pandemic-induced shutdown.” New Commissioner Lisa Baird has indicated that being first “wasn't an initial goal, but with just nine teams and what it feels to be proper safety protocols in place, the league will be ready to go” (SI.com, 6/1).
NEW MEDIA PARTNER PAYING OFF: In DC, Steven Goff reported the June 27 North Carolina Courage-Portland Thorns match is “likely to appear midday on CBS,” making it the “first women’s pro soccer league game to be broadcast on one of the major over-the-air networks.” Baird said, “It’s our chance to be front and center, and get America to fall in love with these incredibly gifted athletes.” Goff noted CBS also will show the tournament final on July 26, while “all other matches will appear on CBS All Access” (WASHINGTON POST, 6/1). THE ATHLETIC’s Meg Linehan examined the NWSL’s deals with both CBS and Twitch and noted CBS “has already illustrated their commitment to the league.” It hosted the Challenge Cup seeding show yesterday instead of making the league “settle for their own site or social media platforms” (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/1).
