The Historic Media Investment in Women's Sports
By: Emily Hricak
November 16, 2023
Photograph: Front Office Sports
As a former athlete and continued advocate for women’s representation, I was thrilled to hear about the recent development within the world of women's sports (yes, it is unfortunately still its own isolated world). Earlier this month, the National Women’s Soccer League secured a historic media deal. According to USA Today, CBS, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps Sports will broadcast all 118 NWSL soccer matches in 2024. This contract for this deal is set for four years.
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In a previous public square post, I wrote about the University of Nebraska’s volleyball team and how strongly I believe that women’s sports deserve more recognition. This NWSL deal is a tangible step in this direction. By broadcasting women’s soccer on more platforms, more people have the opportunity to tune in and support.
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After the deal was finalized in early November, Jessica Berman, the NWSL commissioner, said in an interview, “We are committed collectively to ensuring that this creates the opportunity that this league deserves to be in front of fans and to make sure our fans know where to watch.” The lack of media coverage on women’s sports is one of the major reasons why leagues like the WNBA, LPGA, and NWSL are not taken as seriously as men’s sports. Not only will this deal be beneficial for the NWSL, but it will also show that CBS, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps Sports care about the advancement and recognition of women’s sports. A five-way partnership is pretty rare, as most channels insist on having exclusive rights to stay competitive in the market. These networks were willing to put their egos aside to work together and invest in a cause worthy of attention.
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This deal is not only historic because it includes so many partners, but it also was the largest financial investment in a women’s sports league broadcast deal. The four-year deal will cost $60 million per year and $240 million in total. Though these numbers seem huge, the Big Ten, a college sports league, makes over $8 billion annually in its media deals with CBS, NBC, and Fox. Don’t even get me started on the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Sure, these leagues have been established for a lot longer than the NWSL so it’s slightly unfair for me to compare them at the same level. However, I am hopeful that this exciting NWSL deal will set the tone for other networks to invest in professional women’s sports.
How do you think such exposure will affect the future of all women’s sports? It’s amazing to see the increased investment in women’s sports but how are we able to combat the greater issue of sexism and misogyny that will continue to exist? Are we going to see a reality in our lifetime that showcases all genders in sports on an equal playing field in terms of media attention and financial investment?
The world of women's sports has been incredibly isolated, so it's super exciting to see that there has slowly been improvement in bringing attention to women's sports. Media coverage seems to be a huge factor in why some other sports are more widely recognized than women's sports. By seeing this representation, it could potentially even motivate people to pursue and participate in women's sports. Additionally, the amount of engagement of fans with the women's soccer league will likely increase, whether it be through ticket and merchandise sales, social media interaction, opportunities for higher profile exposure, etc.. I'm looking forward to seeing the impact of this news!