NEW YORK — For the first time in its five-year history, the National Women’s Soccer League will have a full-time broadcast partner.
A+E Networks has bought an equity stake in the National Women’s Soccer League and will broadcast weekly matches on the Lifetime network for the next three seasons.
The 10-team pro league includes the Chicago Red Stars, who play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview. NWSL teams play a 20-game schedule in the regular season, which runs from mid-April through September.
The agreement, which was announced Thursday, calls for Lifetime to broadcast a game each Saturday starting in April at 3 p.m. Central. In the past, ESPN and Fox Sports carried NWSL games, but no more than nine or 10 matches per season.
NWSL Media, a new joint venture between the NWSL and A+E Networks, will also become the media and commercial arm of the league.
NWSL commissioner Jeff Plush says he’s pleased to present fans with “the most comprehensive national television and streaming packages in our history.”
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati calls the network “a fantastic fit” for the 10-team league.
The Western New York Flash, the league’s defending champions, will relocate this season and become the North Carolina Courage.
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