The National Women's Soccer League's eleventh season kicks off Saturday, and investors will be paying close attention to the league to see whether it can capitalize on all of the changes that Commissioner Jessica Berman made during her first year on the job.
Last year was transformative for women's professional soccer, as Berman took the helm of an organization that had been plagued with problems ranging from accusations of emotional and sexual abuse and sexism, and an overall lack of confidence in the league.
The NWSL hired Berman in March 2022. Previously, she was deputy commissioner at the National Lacrosse League, spent 13 years with the NHL and worked as a labor lawyer at Proskauer Rose. Her biggest priorities? Restore faith in women's soccer and grow the business.
Since then, the commissioner has made changes to not only drastically transform the culture of the league but also supersize the business through its infrastructure, staffing and rules. Sports Business Journal named her the "Best Hire of the Year" for 2022.
It's all led to a pivotal moment for the league, as it looks to add more teams and its media deal is up for grabs. Then, this summer, the FIFA Women's World Cup will put the league's talent on display – about 25% to 30% of NWSL's players will travel to Australia and New Zealand for the tournament.
At the moment, the league has momentum. Berman told reporters Tuesday that business is strong and ticket sales are rising.
"Attendance and ticket sales are really the rocket fuel that will grow this league," she said. "We're up 20% in season ticket holders on a league-wide basis."
Building on a strong year
More than 1 million fans attended matches last year, the league said, as nearly every market grew following the pandemic. Attendance was up about 80% in 2022, while ticketing revenue grew more than 125%, according to NWSL.
Sponsorship revenue also surged 87% last year, Berman said. The league averaged 37 sponsorship deals per team, which is more than any other women's sport, according to sports data and intelligence platform Sponsor United. The league also plans to expand to 14 teams from 12 beginning next year.
The NWSL just signed a deal to bring soccer back to Utah with a new ownership group in a deal reportedly worth between $2 million and $5 million, a major bargain that had been part of a deal negotiated in 2020, before team valuations started to soar.
The league is also in advanced discussions to further expand in San Francisco for 2024, followed by Boston, which is launching "later," both with a whopping $50 million franchise tag, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Women's pro soccer valuations are also soaring. It used to take a few million dollars to get in on the league. Today, Angel City FC, based in Los Angeles, is valued at $100 million, according to Sportico.
Athletes, celebrities and investors all want a piece of the action. Big name investors include everyone from Eli Manning, Kevin Durant, Sue Bird, Natalie Portman and Jennifer Garner.
"I think, if anything that we've learned in the last 11 months, which is that the market will tell us our value so long as we give it the appropriate opportunity to produce that value. And everything that I've seen, has validated that," Berman said.
The league is busy looking for new ownership groups in Chicago and Portland after a yearlong investigation. Portland Thorns owner Merritt Paulson and Chicago Red Stars owner Arnim Whisler both announced in December, they would be selling their teams.
Berman said the vetting stages for new ownership groups in Chicago and Portland are in "advanced stages," and they aren't going to set an "artificial deadline." She said it's about putting the right person in place who is not just well resourced but also willing to invest in the club to provide a professional environment.
"The old ways of doing business are probably no longer applicable," Berman said. "We're not going to close deals in 30 to 60 days. We're dealing with really sophisticated people who appropriately have questions," she added.
Berman says they are not looking for the quick win when it comes to ownership, rather finding the right partner.
"We're looking to go from a mentality of surviving to thriving," she said. "I think all of that requires a changes in mentality, culture and expectations."
As part of that transformation, Berman and the league are investing heavily.
The league recently moved its headquarters to Madison Avenue in New York from Chicago. It is also beefing up staff, doubling the number of people in the league office in order to support all the new initiatives they are working on. Berman said multiple teams have doubled or tripled their investment into staffing as well.
"These little things actually matter in terms of having people feel professional and valued," she said.
In January, ahead of the NWSL draft, Berman outlined major updates to the salary cap. Each team will see a 25% increase from $1.1 million per year in 2022 to $1.375 million in 2023.
Media deal up for grabs
Viewership for NWSL matches also rose 30% last year on Paramount +.
Last year's championship, which aired in primetime thanks to sponsor Ally Financial upping its financial commitment, was the most-watched game in league history, with a 71% increase in viewership. Paramount+ said it was the most streamed NWSL matched ever, even though it was up against Game 1 of the World Series and a college football game between rivals Michigan and Michigan State.
These metrics should come in handy as the league's three-year, $4.5 million deal with Paramount Global, which also owns CBS, is set to expire at the end of the new season.
Berman said she's had robust conversations about the rights, and said there are several interested parties.
"We think that there are some really interesting opportunities here and overseas to consider as we think about growing our brand globally and really claiming our space as the best league in the world," she said.
The league also announced a recent partnership with EA Sports to feature NWSL players and clubs in EA Sports FIFA game for the first time ahead of a new season.
Culture change
The NWSL's culture is under the microscope, as well.
The league is implementing major reforms – from new mandatory training sessions, the addition of anonymous hotlines, player surveys, safety officers, mental health benefits and more.
The league was involved in a yearlong investigation after two former players came forward and accused longtime coach Paul Riley of sexual harassment. Sally Yates, a former top Justice Department official, conducted her own investigation, as well. The reports confirmed the allegations of systemic abuse, sexual misconduct and found "widespread misconduct" in more than half of the league's teams.
Berman took swift action following the findings, making changes in personnel, putting new infrastructure in place to prevent future problems and issuing massive fines to the offending teams. The NWSL permanently banned Riley and three other coaches who were accused of misconduct. Riley has denied the accusations.
"The teams are really welcoming of the increased focus and support in this area knowing that it is really sort of table stakes as we think about the growth of the league," Berman said.
Berman spent much of her first year as commissioner on a "listening tour," meeting with players, coaches and executives to hear "first-hand experiences" and what needs to change.
Today, Berman hopes the new changes and protections will position the league for success.
Berman said she's heard from players that they are tired from the burdens of having to carry some of weight of culture challenges and reforms.
"I think it's their hope that we the league and through ownership and management can really take on the burden and work behind the scenes to offer the playing environment that meets the standard that I've committed to, which is a place that makes the players proud to play," Berman said.
Correction: This story was updated to note that Jessica Berman was with the NHL for 13 years.