The Growth of the National Women's Soccer League
- Jess Moskowitz
- Sep 18, 2023
- 2 min read
Gaining equity and respect for female athletes is a fight that has spanned decades. Still today, If one were to look at any ESPN social media post that is highlighting an individual female athlete or a professional women's team, they would see comments riddled with misogyny often objectifying and sexualizing the athletes and claiming that nobody cares about women's sports.
Well, it is certainly not true that nobody cares about women's sports and the National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) is a testament to that.
On Monday, Sept.18 it was announced that there would be a new team, located in Boston, added to the NWSL that will begin play in 2026.
This addition illustrates the continued momentum of expansion that the league has seen over the last few years following the 2019 Women's World Cup.
In 2018, preceding the World Cup, the highest average crowd at an NWSL game was credited to the Portland Thorns coming in at 16,959.
In 2019, just one season later, following mass media attention from the United States Women's National Team win, the Thorns recorded an average of 20,098 fans per game.
Today, looking at the 2023 season, NWSL attendance is up 23 percent from 2022. Additionally, the 2023 season has seen the expansion of notable teams in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Kansas City.
Growth of NWSL Teams by Year
Year | Number of Teams in the NWSL |
2013 | 8 |
2014 | 9 |
2015 | 9 |
2016 | 10 |
2017 | 10 |
2018 | 9 |
2019 | 9 |
2020 | 9 |
2021 | 10 |
2022 | 12 |
2023 | 12 |
2024 | 14 |
The data shows that with greater investment in the league comes greater attendance, greater ratings, and greater engagement. According to Front Office Sports, this newest club in Boston cost an expansion fee of $53 million in addition to renovating a new stadium and developing a separate training facility, For reference, as recently as 2020, a NWSL club sold for $5 million.
In addition to growing the league, players and investors across the USWNT and the NWSL have been using their platform to grow attention around social issues. From equal pay to racial justice and LGBTQ+ inclusion, women's soccer has been at the forefront for demanding social change.
There is still a long way to go in ensuring equitable treatment for female athletes across sports, however these numbers echo the motto "if you build it, they will come." Fans are eager to show up for women's sports; with continued investment in growing the league, fans and investors will continue to show that not only do people care about women's sports, but that women's sports is a powerful vehicle for community and social change.
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