For years, women's professional soccer was viewed by many brands as a "nice-to-have" rather than a "must-have" in their sponsorship portfolios. That narrative has been completely rewritten. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), now in its 13th year, is experiencing an unprecedented financial boom, marked by soaring franchise values, a flood of blue-chip sponsors, and a landmark media rights deal that has supercharged its growth. The league isn't just growing; it's proving to be one of the smartest investments in modern sports.
The financial metrics surrounding the NWSL are staggering. According to a 2025 report from Forbes, the average franchise value in the league has skyrocketed to $134 million, with the 14 clubs collectively worth nearly $2 billion. This represents a monumental leap from just a few years ago, when teams were trading for less than $5 million. Angel City FC leads the pack with a valuation of $280 million, closely followed by the Kansas City Current at $275 million. Even more telling is the price of entry; new expansion franchises in Denver commanded fees of $110 million, signaling immense confidence from a new class of savvy investors, including institutional giants like Sixth Street and Carlyle.
This valuation surge is fueled by a sponsorship explosion. According to the NWSL Partnerships Report 2024-25 by SponsorUnited, league teams generated a combined $75 million in sponsorship revenue in 2024 from over 440 deals, an 8% year-over-year increase. Major national brands are lining up to partner with the league, including AT&T, Nike, Ally Financial, Deloitte, Delta, and Google Pixel. AT&T recently signed on as the league's official connectivity partner, sponsoring the MVP award and the first-ever NWSL Awards Show. This influx of corporate support is a direct result of the league's dedicated and engaged fanbase. A 2025 Women's Soccer Fan Survey by Parity found that women's soccer fans are 58% more likely to purchase from a brand that sponsors the sport compared to fans of other women's sports, a level of loyalty that marketing executives dream of.
A pivotal catalyst for this growth was the league's new media rights deal. In 2023, the NWSL secured a four-year, $240 million agreement with CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports. This deal represented a 40-fold increase over its previous contract and immediately boosted the league's visibility. In the first year of the new package, television viewership surged to a record 18.7 million, a fivefold increase from the previous year. This enhanced exposure not only brings in more fans but also makes the league an even more attractive platform for sponsors seeking national reach.
When evaluating these investments, experts often look at the average revenue multiplier, a key metric used to determine a team's or league's valuation. It is calculated by dividing the enterprise value (what the team is worth) by its annual revenue. A higher multiplier indicates that investors are willing to pay a premium based on the expectation of strong future growth. While the NWSL's average revenue multiple of 8.8x is currently lower than that of the NBA (11.7x) or the NFL (9x), it is nearly on par with Major League Soccer (9.3x), a league that is more than a decade older. This demonstrates that investors see a remarkable upward trajectory for the NWSL.
With attendance hitting a record two million fans in 2024, the establishment of a second division to develop talent, and a passionate fanbase that actively supports sponsors, the NWSL's growth shows no signs of slowing. The league has successfully transitioned from a promising venture into a commercial powerhouse, proving that investing in women's sports is brilliant for business.