Scripps Sports said that it will be producing studio shows on Saturday nights when its Ion network airs National Women’s Soccer League doubleheaders, starting March 16.

There will be a 30-minute prematch program, halftime shows, wrapup/preview shows between games and a post-match show, time permitting.

“We made a commitment to the NWSL, the teams, players and fans,” said Quinn Pacini, VP of broadcast operations for Scripps Sports. “With that in mind, we’ve assembled a first-class team of soccer minds, voices and experts to showcase our Saturday night NWSL franchise. It’s a deep, talented, versatile group that will entertain and inform fans all season.”

The studio shows will feature former players. Lisa Carlin, who also hosts and analyzes soccer for CBS Sports, will host with analysts Darian Jenkins and Jessica McDonald. Nicole Denne is the executive producer.

Branding for NWSL was developed with Drive Studio. Promotional assets, which will appear on TV, social, digital and maid media, were developed with Game Day Creative and STN Digital.

Matches are co-produced by Scripps Sports and the NWSL.

The National Women’s Soccer League said it has made deals to have 118 of its games televised by a combination of CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports.

Starting in 2024, the NWSL will get a regular Friday-night slot on Prime Video, which has been adding sports on top of Thursday Night Football.

Scripps’s Ion network will air games on Saturday nights. Scripps has been pursuing local and national sports packages and aired the WNBA on Ion.

A package of at league 21 regular-season matches will air on CBS and stream live on Paramount Plus. Additional games will appear on CBS Sports Network.

The Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN will have a package of 17 regular season games appearing on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. These matches will also stream on ESPN Plus in English and Spanish. ESPN also has English, Spanish and Portuguese-language rights in Latin America.

The NWSL’s remaining games will be available through a direct-to-consumer product produced and distributed by the league.

For the playoffs, Prime Video and CBS have rights to one quarterfinal each. ESPN/ABC will air the other two quarterfinals. 

CBS and ABC/ESPN will each have a semifinal game.

CBS will air the NWSL Championship Game in primetime. The game will also stream on Paramount Plus.

Ion will air the NWSL Draft live in January. 

“These partnerships fundamentally change the game for our league and the players who take the pitch each week. On behalf of the NWSL, our owners and players, I want to commend CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps for investing in our league and affirmatively declaring to the marketplace that this league is exciting, valuable, and important,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said. “We have taken great care to ensure our games are discoverable by increasing our reach in order to expose new audiences to everything that makes our league special, without compromising the economic value of our product. This is the beginning of our future.”

All of the television rightsholders are making significant commitments to marketing and promoting the NWSL, and will cross-promote each other’s scheduled broadcasts, the league said.

“We’re thrilled to extend our relationship with the NWSL, continuing as the home of the NWSL Championship and offering an expanded slate of matches on CBS as we build on the success of the last four years,” CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said. “Extending this partnership further demonstrates our commitment to elevating women’s sports as we continue to work hand-in-hand with the NWSL to highlight the world’s best women’s soccer players. As we prepare to present the 2023 NWSL Championship this weekend, we are excited to continue to showcase this league across our platforms for years to come and remain the ultimate destination for soccer fans.”

“The NWSL is among the world's best women’s professional soccer leagues, and we are excited to showcase the league, the clubs, and the incredible athletes to sports fans,” said Rosalyn Durant, executive VP, programming and acquisitions, ESPN. “This agreement further strengthens our leadership position as the home for women’s sports.”

“The evolution of women’s sports — and specifically the NWSL — demonstrates that there is a growing audience for remarkable athletes and world-class competition, regardless of gender,” said Marie Donoghue, VP U.S. sports content & partnerships at Amazon. “With the unique power and distribution of Prime Video, and an exclusive window on Friday nights throughout the season, we look forward to expanding that audience as the newest home of the NWSL.”

“Scripps Sports is pleased to create a franchise night on ION for the NWSL that will reach every American household, across every free television platform and further help expand the league’s fan base with appointment viewing consistency,” said Adam Symson, president and CEO of E.W. Scripps. “We’re proud once again to be a part of a historic distribution agreement that will elevate women’s professional sports, benefitting the league, the teams, their athletes and fans.”

Endeavor’s IMG and WME Sports advised the NWSL and handled the negotiations.

“On behalf of the NWSL, we have secured four game-changing, marquee partnerships that will help send the women’s game to new heights of viewership and fandom, growing domestic revenues for the League at a multiple of over 40 times,” said Hillary Mandel, executive VP, head of Americas, IMG.

“The NWSL’s new line-up of media partners are stepping up with significant rights fees, production investment, top-tier platforms and impactful promotion,“ Mandel said. “In lockstep with the NWSL, they are going to transform the ways in which fans can discover and engage with the games, assuring deserved exposure for these world-class athletes on the broadest stage.” 

The National Women’s Soccer League will launch its 2020 season with a 25-game tournament in Utah beginning this June, the league announced Wednesday.

The league, which last played in October 2019, will kick off its 25-game tournament featuring all nine teams on June 27 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah without fans, said the league. Each team will play four games in the preliminary rounds to determine seeding, with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals. Single elimination games will determine the two finalists, who will play in the Championship match on July 26 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

CBS will televise the opening game as well as the Championship match, while the CBS All Access streaming service will televise live all other games, said the network. 

“As our country begins to safely reopen and adjust to our collective new reality, and with the enthusiastic support of our players, owners, as well as our new and current commercial partners, the NWSL is thrilled to bring professional soccer back to the United States,” said NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird in a statement. “This exciting month-long tournament will showcase our league’s talented players and provide our fans the type of world-class entertainment they’ve come to expect from the NWSL.”

The NWSL's announcement comes on the heels of the National Hockey League's plans to restart its 2019-2020 season this summer after suspending play in March due to the coronavirus outbreak.