NWSL terminates contract with streaming platform Victory+, effective immediately

The GIST: The NWSL hasn’t yet confirmed or denied if it’ll be starting the 2027 season a full month earlier due to the FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC), but it did surprisingly reveal the immediate termination of its media rights agreement with streaming partner Victory+ last Thursday.

• It’s been less than a year since the league announced Victory+ as its fifth media partner. The partnership goal was to increase the discoverability of games via free, ad-supported streams and Sunday primetime broadcasts. So how did it unravel so fast? Let’s dive in.

The details: The NWSL is the third major sports rights holder to exit the platform in less than a month following MLB’s Texas Rangers and the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. And although no official reason has been given for the NWSL termination, both the Rangers and Ducks cited that Victory+ had fallen behind on payments.

• According to the Sports Business Journal, the streamer has faced difficulties with securing additional financing since February. Interesting…

Zooming out: The direct-to-consumer streaming switch is an attractive option for teams and leagues who know fans are frustrated with blackouts, or not having cable at all. They also offer a consistent way for out-of-market fans to watch games, something that was important in Victory+’s NWSL deal as expansion teams Boston and Denver joined this season.

• All soccer games slated for Victory+ were immediately made available on NWSL+, a quick and smart pivot for the league. Still, with clients like the Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Dallas Stars, and LOVB on its dwindling roster, this might not be the last loss for Victory+.