By OkayGoal 
That growth is not happening because of one single factor. It is the result of several commercial forces arriving at the same time: stronger media distribution, higher franchise valuations, more visible stars, better matchday experiences, and a sponsor market that increasingly sees women’s sports as undervalued rather than niche. For investors, that combination creates a rare opening: a sport with established cultural credibility, but still with plenty of room for commercial growth.
With that commercial interest and spending comes other businesses that are interested in tapping into a growing audience. Broadcast and streaming audiences have grown alongside attendance figures. Major networks and big money are now competing more aggressively for women’s sports rights, with NWSL matches increasingly appearing on national television and subscription streaming services.
Where Audiences Go, Business is Never Far Behind
In terms of businesses associated with sports, some of the big ones are broadcast deals, sports betting and data companies.
The NWSL’s current domestic media package, announced in 2023 and launched from the 2024 season, was reported at $240 million over four years across partners including CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps. The league has since expanded its media arrangements for 2026 and 2027, showing how quickly demand for women’s soccer rights has developed.
The latter’s exact investments in women’s soccer betting are not clear, but the $10 billion-plus betting sector certainly sees women’s sports as a growth market. However, as the expansion of new US markets slows, Women’s soccer represents a new market that has strong growth and a passionate fan base. One that overlaps with an existing soccer market and its own infrastructure.
That does not mean betting should become central to the identity of women’s soccer. The more realistic point is that sportsbooks follow predictable audience behavior. When a league develops regular national broadcasts, reliable schedules, recognizable teams and deeper statistical coverage, it becomes easier for betting operators, odds providers and sports media platforms to build products around it. In that sense, sportsbook interest is less a cause of the NWSL’s growth and more a sign that the league is entering a more mature commercial phase.
This wider consumer information ecosystem is already built around comparison, regulation, and promotional research. For example, adults exploring legal sports entertainment platforms may use resources such as Covers.com to compare available offers and promotions, including introductory value, eligibility requirements, and other key details before making a decision. That kind of comparison content shows how mature the US sportsbook market already is — and why operators may see women’s soccer as a natural extension of their existing soccer coverage rather than a completely new category.
For a women’s soccer audience, this area also needs careful handling. Betting content should be aimed only at adults in legal markets, and it should be clearly separated from the youth, community and participation side of the sport. That balance matters because part of women’s soccer’s commercial value comes from the trust it has built with families, young players and grassroots communities.
Women sports bettors now account for about 30% of the market in the US. And with the total market being worth around $18 billion a year, that is no small change.
For US sportsbooks, women’s soccer is a growth market in a sport that already attracts substantial betting activity. Consistent viewership, predictable scheduling, clubs rather than individual players, statistical depth – all of this makes soccer a key market for sportsbooks and the women’s game ticks all the same boxes.
In women’s soccer, Fanatics Sportsbook now sponsors the Washington Spirit, which was the first such gambling brand deal for a US women’s team.
Why Women’s Soccer is of Interest to Commercial Operations
The interest of betting operators reflects a broader trend. A decade ago, women’s soccer was seen as a promising but uncertain market. In the US, the commercial and audience growth has proven it is a worthwhile investment. The overlap between female demographics is also important for marketing purposes.
Sectors as diverse as financial services firms, healthcare providers and tech companies are now interested in sponsoring women’s soccer just as much as sports-related businesses.
Star player narratives are always important, too, and few sports have had as big global stars as soccer. Although no women’s game stars have yet approached the global fame (and wealth) of men’s stars like Ronaldo or Messi, the US especially does have its own massive stars
Women’s sports stars tend towards big personal brands that align more with social issues, while the sports themselves are positioned as more family-friendly and community-driven than many major leagues.
Star players are another major part of the commercial story. Alex Morgan helped show how a USWNT player could become a mainstream brand figure beyond the field, while Sophia Wilson, widely known to fans from much of her career as Sophia Smith, represents the newer generation of NWSL stars with strong appeal across sport, fashion, lifestyle and social media.
In a converse example, betting is one area that women’s soccer stars have mostly shied away from – unlike the men’s game. Although there are more adverts for betting at women’s soccer games than before, they aren’t integrated into the experience in the same way as they are in NBA or NFL broadcasts.
This reflects how women’s soccer is often positioned in the market. It is still largely centered around community and sport as a social good in the eyes of fans, as much as it is elite-level competition and commercialization.
Why Women’s Soccer is in a Good Place Right Now
Whether this culture around the game will stay the same through increasing waves of commercial investment remains to be seen. Leagues and teams will have to balance more money in the game for players and teams, which creates growth and bigger opportunities, with the spirit that the women’s soccer game has built up. This will be a key factor in shaping the league over the coming years.
Other US sports leagues are hugely profitable, but not everyone is happy about the “Moneyball” style of sports. For example, the NFL, despite not being as globally popular as soccer, dominates the list of globally most valuable sports teams – and fans can often feel that in their pocket when it comes to tickets, merch and even grassroots sporting equipment.
And there is pushback to that. For example, the growing presence of betting in most US sports, let alone women’s soccer, has been a big topic of discussion for several years now. Overexposure and targeted advertising are common concerns among sports fans, whether betting or any other kind of marketing.
US women’s soccer is not insulated from commercial pressure, but it does have some advantages. The match format naturally has fewer advertising breaks than many US sports; the supporter culture is still closely connected to local communities, and the sport remains easy to play and understand at the grassroots level. Those qualities give women’s soccer a chance to grow commercially without completely reshaping the fan experience.
The next stage of growth will likely be defined by balance. More money can improve facilities, salaries, media coverage and the overall professionalism of the league. But if commercialization becomes too aggressive, especially around ticket prices, betting exposure or sponsor saturation, the sport risks weakening the community-led identity that helped make it attractive in the first place.
So where does the game go from here? The most likely answer is into a more mature, more competitive and more commercial era. US women’s soccer is no longer asking whether there is a market; the market has already answered. The bigger question is whether the league, clubs, sponsors and media partners can grow that market without turning the sport into a copy of every other heavily commercialized league. If they get that balance right, the NWSL can become not just a successful women’s sports property, but one of the most important growth stories in American sports.