In a “historic partnership” the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is teaming up with A+E Networks. The A+E Networks channel Lifetime “will become an official sponsor and broadcast partner of the league in a three-year deal, beginning in April,” the company announced in a press release.
As part of the deal, A+E Networks is set to become the league’s latest investor with an equity stake in the NWSL. The press release also details that this investment has developed alongside “the creation of a new joint venture, NWSL Media, and marks a watershed moment in the league’s history that will bolster the league’s growth and support of the teams, players, and fans.”
According to the announcement, NWSL Media “will act as the media and commercial arm of the league,” handling its broadcast, sponsorship rights, digital assets, and social media platforms. Additionally, Lifetime is set to be the NWSL’s official broadcast partner, which means a game will air every weekend of the season as “the NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime.”
Considering Lifetime’s push to air more women-centric and women-helmed series and movies, and the way women’s professional sports are continually underestimated, this development sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Nancy Dubuc, A+E Networks’ President and CEO, said in a statement, “As a former college athlete, I know the importance of sports in the lives of women and girls and I couldn’t be more thrilled to join forces with NWSL and U.S. Soccer to ensure professional women athletes are elevated as the entire country can watch and be inspired by their strength and athleticism.”
NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush added, “This is a transformational partnership in the evolution of the league, and we are so appreciative of Nancy Dubuc and her team [for taking] a leadership position in the growth of our league and create opportunities for young women.”
The NWSL is a 10-team Division-I women’s professional soccer league. The league was founded in December 2012 and is about to begin its fifth season.
The NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime will broadcast every Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, beginning in April. A pre-game show will air weekly at 3:30 p.m. ET.
In the past few years, Lifetime has bolstered its support of women via the Broad Focus initiative. Broad Focus “is a movement to identify and develop entertainment’s best and up-and-coming creative talent with a specific lens dedicated to developing content dedicated to the female experience.”
