Financial terms were not disclosed. ESPN reported the deal is worth $240 million overall. Under the previous deal, CBS Sports paid $1.5 million annually.
The agreement “sends a very strong message to the marketplace and to our fans that we are in a five-way partnership here,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said at a news conference Thursday, two days before the championship game between Seattle’s OL Reign and New Jersey’s Gotham FC. “We are committed collectively to ensuring that this creates the opportunity that this league deserves to be in front of fans.”
The NWSL set an attendance record this season by averaging 10,432 per match, a 32.