Here’s Why NWSL’s $240 Million Media Right Deal is Better Than MLS’ $2.5 Billion Apple Deal

The 2023 edition of the National Women’s Super League is approaching its conclusion, with the final match scheduled to place in the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, the league underwent a transformation in its dynamics as it secured a substantial media rights deal for the next season. NWLS’s television rights promised to be an immensely lucrative opportunity, surpassing MLS’ agreement with Apple.

Earlier, Apple and MLS entered into a global broadcast partnership valued at $2.5 billion. Apple TV surged over 110k new subscribers for the MLS season pass, especially when Lionel Messi signed for Inter Miami. However, NWSL appears to have a more profitable broadcasting deal than MLS, providing an advantage for both the club and soccer enthusiasts.

How did NWSL make a better deal over MLS’ $2.5 Billion Apple Deal?

National Women’s Super League revealed an exclusive 4-year media distribution agreement with four distinct channels from the 2024 season. The annual fee will be $60 million, resulting in a cumulative sum of $240 million over the entire tenure. The partners that would broadcast the league are ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports. Furthermore, the agreement is set to last until 2027, featuring 118 games from the forthcoming season. The media rights have the potential to increase global attention for NWSL across the selected channels, eventually contributing to the league’s expansion and the increase in revenue.

NWSL’s television revenue will be immensely profitable for each of the 14 clubs in the league. The annual $60 million fees will be fairly shared among the clubs, resulting in the range of $4.3 million for every team. On the contrary, MLS earns an annual sum of $90 million from the Apple TV deal. The 28 clubs of the league obtain just $3.2 million from the entire sum of the agreement.

Apparently, NWSL surpassed the MLS club’s earnings, with $1.1 million in fees from their new television rights. It shows a major shift in interest in NWSL from the investors, which notably changed the landscape observed in their previous deal in 2020.

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NWSL in the brink of a huge transformation from the 2024 season

National Women’s Super League initially entered an agreement exclusively with CBS for broadcasting rights in 2020. The deal was worth a mere $4.5 million, spread across three years. It lacked the capability to grab attention or facilitate the teams from a business standpoint. Moreover, NWSL’s agreement was extended for the season in response to the significant decrease in viewership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Therefore, NWSL will generate 40 times the revenue in television rights compared to the earnings from the previous agreement. The women’s league also announced an expansion in their playoff to include eight teams, which were settled to six spots in the past three years. The inclusion of Bay FC and Utah Royals FC brings the league to 14 teams to fight for the title. This enhances the competitive edge in NWSL, increasing the enthusiasm among soccer fans for the upcoming season.

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