Founded in 2012, the NWSL is one of the newer leagues in women's football, yet has garnered plenty of interest over the past decade or so.
Last year's edition ended in a very interesting fashion as NY/NJ Gotham clinched their first ever league championship after beating OL Reign in the post-season play-off final. And this year's edition is certain to be even more exciting with the addition of two new teams, Utah Royals and Bay City.
Here's all you need to know ahead of the 2024 NWSL season.
Where can I watch 2024 NWSL games live on TV?
Fans in the USA will be able to watch NWSL games via a variety of ways. Thanks to a new deal signed by ABC and ESPN, there are new ways to follow NWSL games on TV. As per the terms of its deal, ABC covers four matches, including the season opener, while ESPN and ESPN2 combined to carry 20 games on its family of channels.
Spanish-speaking fans can check out ESPN Deportes, which provides coverage of over ten matches.
Meanwhile, CBS also provides coverage of NWSL games in the 2024 season, with its TV channel covering 11 games during the regular season, plus a couple of playoff ties. And finally, due to a partnership between the NWSL and Scripps Sports, ION, which is owned by Scripps Sports, offers 50 games during the course of the season.
Where can I live-stream NWSL games online for the 2024 season?
Likewise, fans based in the USA also have a wide range of options to live-stream NWSL games during the 2024 season, with both free and paid options available, depending on which one chooses to select.
They include CBS's OTT platform Paramount+, as well as CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo as well as ESPN's OTT provider ESPN+. Additional choices include Amazon Prime Video, which covers over 20 matches per season, fuboTV, and NWSL+, which is the NWSL's in house streaming service and carries nearly 70 matches.
Here some live-streaming options if you live in one of these countries:
Canada: Amazon Prime Video, TSN+, NWSL+
NWSL+ also offers live-streaming of matches for the 2024 season in a variety of other international locations.
Which club will start the 2024 NWSL season as reigning champions?
Unlike European leagues, the NWSL (like MLS) is a bit different. There are two main titles a team can win - the NWSL Shield, which goes to the team with the most points in the regular season, and the Championship, which is the post-season competition. To date, only one team, North Carolina Courage, have won both the NWSL Shield and the Championship in the same season (in 2018 and 2019).
Ahead of the 2024 NWSL season, the NWSL Shield winners are San Diego Wave, while the Championship winners are NY/NJ Gotham.
Which team have won the most titles in NWSL history?
In terms of the NWSL Shield, OL Reign and North Carolina Courage have won the most times (three times each). Meanwhile, in terms of winners in the post-season championship competition, Portland Thorns, with three titles, have enjoyed the most success.
When does the 2024 NWSL season begin?
The 2024 NWSL season is expected to begin on March 15, 2024, with the fifth edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup. This is a supercup type of match that will pit the NWSL Shield winners against the playoff champion winners, and will be the first time it's played in a one-off supercup format (similar to many competitions in Europe).
After, the regular season begins on March 16th and will run through November 3rd.
When does the 2024 NWSL season end?
The regular 2024 NWSL season is expected to end on November 3rd. After this, the playoffs will start on November 9th and conclude with the championship final on November 23rd.
For further information, including news, updated broadcast listings, and kick-off times, please make sure to bookmark our special NWSL page here.
