(Reuters) – Viewership for Saturday’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship match increased 216% over the 2019 finale, the league reported on Tuesday.
The Washington Spirit’s 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars in Louisville, Kentucky, averaged 525,000 viewers on CBS, the NWSL said, after the majority of the regular season was broadcast on the Paramount+ streaming service.
It was the league’s most-watched championship match, marking a significant increase in audience over 2019’s game, which was broadcast on ESPN.
The championship returned this season after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the NWSL to suspend its typical schedule in 2020 in favor of a one-off “Challenge Cup” tournament.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Toby Davis)
