NWSL: An assist from an ally
The GIST: This year’s NWSL Championship is heading to primetime thanks to a little help from a friend. The league announced yesterday that CBS will air the October 29th final from Washington, D.C.’s, Audi Field at the coveted 8 p.m. ET time slot after NWSL sponsor Ally Financial increased their media spend with the network. Allyship at its finest.
The details: The financial services company’s escalated investment convinced CBS to move the game from its originally scheduled noon ET time and to pledge the “full weight of its promotional muscle” ahead of kickoff. Money talks.
- The 2022 championship will be the NWSL’s first in primetime since 2015, when it aired on a Thursday on Fox Sports 1.
- This year’s Saturday night match will be up against Game 2 of the World Series on Fox and college football on ABC. A jam-packed sports night.
The context: The 2022 championship marks a significant upgrade from last year’s, which was initially set for 9 a.m. PT,in Portland, Oregon. After NWSL players launched a social media campaign, the league moved the game to Louisville, Kentucky, for a still-too-early noon ET kickoff.
- Yesterday’s news, though, follows a streak of internal upgrades for the league, which include improved broadcast quality and moving HQ from Chicago to NYC next month.
Zooming out: As a relatively young league, the NWSL may not carry enough leverage on its own at the moment. Ally, though, successfully used its (purchasing) power to improve the league’s footing, setting a solid example of how brands can further support the women’s sports properties they’re invested in.
- Ally is truly putting its money where its mouth is. In May, the digital bank committed to equal media spend on women’s and men’s sports. We stan.
