NWSL crushes attendance record with media deal looming

The NWSL began its season by surpassing its opening weekend attendance record.

Nearly 31,000 fans packed into San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium, 22,000 saw Alyssa Thompson’s first goal for Angel City, and a total of more than 90,000 fans came to the league’s first six games — an average of 15,002 — over the first weekend.

That figure was nearly 50% higher than the previous high of 10,150 set last year.

The league topped 1 million total fans last season, with an average of 7,894 across 132 games. That figure was buoyed by Angel City with an average of 19,105 and the Portland Thorns with 15,543. 

An Angel City-San Diego Wave tilt in September at Snapdragon Stadium set the league’s attendance record with 32,000.

If the league can show growing popularity this season, it could pay dividends for years to come: The NWSL is currently in talks with interested broadcasters on its next media deal. The current one with CBS Sports expires after this season.

Name, Image, and Unlikeness

The NWSL has been added to EA Sports “FIFA 23” game, but some players are angry over how they’re depicted.

“I know you expect women to just be thankful and grateful that you’ve given us a little sliver of publicity, but please stop wasting our time,” tweeted Angel City’s Sydney Leroux. “Some of us are bald.”