Greetings,
Greetings,
On behalf of the NWSL, I’d like to welcome fans to the kickoff of the 2024 season.
This season the story of this incredible league continues about the extraordinary athletes who play here as we elevate the game. You’ll see that storybook theme in our kickoff campaign, including in this video here.
As the standings show, the 2023 campaign was among the most competitive the NWSL has seen, where any team could win any match – only 14 points separated the top and bottom team in the standings at the end of the regular season, and the team that finished in last place in 2022 won the 2023 Championship. Between the regular season, Challenge Cup, Women’s World Cup and international competitions, every player, coach and staff member worked tirelessly every day, and I strive to mirror their tenacity, dedication and work ethic.
Fans can expect even more competition in 2024 with two more teams joining the league. It is an honor to welcome Bay FC to the NWSL and celebrate the return of Utah Royals FC. Our newest clubs place a spotlight on some of the iconic figures who paved the way for today’s players, as the Royals will be coached by their all-time leading scorer Amy Rodriguez, while Bay FC’s founding group consists of four USWNT legends in Aly Wagner, Danielle Slaton, Brandi Chastain and Leslie Osborne. These pioneers, along with many others, laid the foundation for the growth we see in women’s soccer today.
While the collection of talent in the NWSL is among the best in the world, we are who we are because of you, our fans. The NWSL shattered attendance records last season with more than 1.4 million fans attending regular season games across the league, a 36% increase from 2022. Half of our clubs broke their previous single season attendance records in 2023, and the 2023 Championship broke the 2018 attendance record with 25,011 fans.
2024 marks the beginning of a new landmark media deal, providing fans with more ways to watch the NWSL than ever before. Our games will be in the places and spaces where people consume content: Amazon on Friday nights, Scripps ION on Saturday nights and throughout the season on Saturdays and Sundays on ESPN, ABC and CBS. The full 2024 schedule can be found here. We are also proud to launch NWSL+, the league’s first-ever domestic direct to consumer streaming platform, giving fans free access to their favorite teams and players.
The 2024 season kicks off with the Challenge Cup between 2023 NWSL Champions NJ/NY Gotham FC and last year’s Shield-winners San Diego Wave FC with the NWSL’s first-ever game on Amazon PRIME. Opening week continues with the first regular season game between the Kansas City Current and Portland Thorns FC on ABC, marking the inaugural match at CPKC Stadium, the first purpose-built stadium for a women’s professional sports team. We are making history, literally.
2024 is set to be another incredible year for the NWSL. Keep the support coming, your passion inspires and challenges us to be the best league in the world.
Sincerely,
Jessica Berman
Commissioner, NWSL