NWSL makes flurry of business-driven moves as playoffs approach

The GIST: As the NWSL builds toward its future (one commissioner Jessica Berman plans to lead), the league is making key decisions to level up its on-field product, including through its recent digital media partnership with The GIST. Let’s review a few of the NWSL’s moves announced this week, and what they might mean for the league and interested sponsors. Eye on the ball.

📺 NWSL media rights expansion: Two years into its multiplatform, four-year media rights agreement, the NWSL expanded its deals with ESPN and CBS while also adding MLB and NHL sports streamer Victory+ to the mix. ESPN channels will air an additional 16 games annually, CBS will show another 17 each year, and Victory+ will air at least 57 matches in 2026 and 2027.

⚽ NWSL combine: On Wednesday, the NWSL announced it will launch two combines, one for college-aged athletes and one for youth players, starting this December. The NWSL is in a unique position to capitalize on gaps in the youth-to-pro pipeline as the combine will funnel talent straight into the league.

• It’s a page out of the NFL’s playbook, which has turned its combine into a media and marketing opportunity. The 2025 NFL Combine reached over 5.1M viewers, its most-watched edition since 2017. While combine coverage typically attracts avid fans, it also provides opportunities for sponsors like Microsoft and New Era to activate.

♥️ NWSL sponsor wins: Speaking of sponsors, the league added camera giant Canon as its official imaging partner on Wednesday. The partnership will include an original content series, behind-the-scenes footage shot exclusively with Canon equipment, and interactive fan contests like the one NWSL beauty partner E.l.f. Cosmetics announced earlier this week.

• Then there are wins as consumer data rolls in from sponsors like Tylenol, which recently shared new insights on its NWSL and Gotham FC deals with Morning Brew. Only a few months into these agreements, Tylenol is already being exposed to new audiences, ones that the brand identified as primed for pain relievers earlier this season.

What’s next: The NWSL is still scaling up — Berman said it's looking to expand beyond 16 clubs in a “rolling process,” as many cities have expressed interest — but there’s still a lot the league has to figure out before it expands further.

• Part of that is staying competitive with talent: The NWSL has fielded criticism for losing some of its top players, and that’s what makes the combine particularly interesting. The U.S. is only beginning to tap into the power of domestic talent and fandom, and building out a pipeline like LOVB would bode well for the league and its sponsors.

• Staying at the top of the game also means fans must be tuned in. While ESPN viewership is up 72% YoY, CBS ratings fell 13% YoY in July, showing network fluctuation. And with newcomers like Victory+, viewership becomes more fragmented, a problem that’s driven women’s sports fans to opt for men’s sports when they’re more accessible. So much in play.