The Orlando Pride’s 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit to clinch the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League Championship capped a season of double- and triple-digit gains for the league in TV viewership and game attendance.
The Nov. 23 game, carried live on CBS and carried on Paramount+ from Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium, averaged 967,900 viewers, peaking at 1.1 million viewers. The turnout on TV was up 18% from last year’s bout (816,800 viewers) and up 6% from the previous record high for the NWSL championship game, set in 2022 (915,000).
For the 2024 season, the NWSL has put up even more impressive stats, starting with a 567% spike in total TV viewership across its March-November season. By NWSL’s math, total audience across regular and post-season games hit 24 million, including pre-shows carried on the Ion network.
The NWSL’s seven post-season games drew an average of 562,900 viewers on linear platforms for a total audience of 4.6 million across the playoffs. Three 2024 regular season games rank in the top 5 most-watched NWSL games of all time, led by the Oct. 6, 2023, OL Reign-Gotham FC game that marked the final match of superstar player Megan Rapinoe (683,000 viewers).
NWSL leaders attribute the viewership gains are attributed in part to stronger media partners for the league.
“When we began our groundbreaking new media deals this season, the goal was to redefine our value and to put more of our matches in the places and spaces where fans consume content,” said Jessica Berman, NWSL commissioner. “This past weekend’s outstanding coverage on CBS platforms, which included ‘CBS Mornings’’ historic broadcast from CPKC Stadium, record match viewership and the most-watched NWSL event in history, is the product our efforts to broaden and diversify our audience. Thanks to the collaboration of our partners at CBS, we’ve successfully brought the excitement of the NWSL to more fans than ever before.”
As for in-person attendance, total turnout for the NWSL’s 12th season overall topped 2 million for the first time, a gain of 47% from last year. The 2024 season logged 91 games with more than 10,000 spectators, a 65% hike from last year. Some 13 of the NWSL’s 14 teams gathered crowds of more than 10,000 in 2024.
(Pictured: Orlando Pride team members celebrate after winning the NWSL championship game.)
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