SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) will now be broadcast to a global audience following ESPN acquiring it’s worldwide broadcasting rights.
The broadcaster already holds the national rights to the competition, with this new announcement allowing ESPN to stream upcoming fixtures across it’s platforms such as it’s ‘ESPN Player’.
Scott Guglielmino, Senior Vice President, Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN commented on the deal: “The National Women’s Soccer League is home to many of the world’s top female players, and as a brand, ESPN leads the way in delivering world-class soccer content to fans around the world. We are thrilled to be able to leverage ESPN’s global reach to bring NWSL’s regular season and playoff matches to soccer audiences worldwide.”
Following the US women’s national team’s (USWNT) success, the demand for the NSWL has grown.
As a result of this deal, global fans will now be granted freer access to stars such as Carli Lloyd, USWNT captain Megan Rapinoe, Canadian captain Christine Sinclair as well as other World Cup superstars.
NWSL President, Amanda Duffy, commented on the added potential outreach that the deal grants the women’s league: “This is an important step for NWSL to strengthen the league’s reach through ESPN’s international network. Our partnership with ESPN has already brought NWSL’s world-class competition into more homes and to more fans here in the United States. Expanding the network’s distribution internationally will continue to elevate the profile and visibility of NWSL around the world.”
ESPN’s international coverage continues on Wednesday when the Chicago Red Stars host Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit takes on Utah Royals.
