NWSL: audiences for the 2025 regular season up 61% (vs 2024) on ESPN in the USA

The 2025 National Women’s Soccer League regular season, played from 14/03 to 02/11, posted "record-breaking growth" of 61% compared to 2024 on ESPN (The Walt Disney Company) channels in the United States, according to Nielsen data released by the American group on 08/11/2025.

"The 17-match schedule across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes averaged 228,000 viewers, up significantly from 141,000 viewers during the 2024 season - the inaugural year of NWSL on ESPN," explained the group. Kansas City Current - Portland Thorns FC (3-1), broadcast on ESPN and ABC on 15/02/2025, achieved the best audience of the season with an average of 610,000 viewers.

This figure "underscores the surging momentum of women's sports across ESPN platforms". The WNBA regular season, which ran from 16/05 to 11/09/2025, posted a 6% (versus 2024) increase in viewers in the United States on the group's channels, with an average of 1.3 million viewers per game.

ESPN, the American broadcasting groups CBS (Paramount Global) and Scripps Networks, as well as Amazon (for its Prime Video platform), hold…