WNFC inks multiyear deal with ESPN for title game as broadcast exposure and sponsorship level up the league

The GIST: The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) announced a multiyear agreement with ESPN yesterday to broadcast its June 21st championship game live on ESPN2. The league has seen recent growth, mostly thanks to increased media exposure and sponsorship, so we chatted with WNFC advisory board member, commentator, and former player Jennifer King to learn more. Spiking it.

The context: In 2023, the WNFC inked a content deal with the now-defunct free sports streamer Caffeine TV before joining emerging sports streamer Victory+ in November 2024. In 2025, the league aired its title game on ESPN2 for the first time, garnering 150K viewers. Its new deal solidifies ESPN as a consistent platform for national viewership that complements its full regular-season viewership on Victory+.

• However, the WNFC’s game isn’t the only women’s tackle football championship on the channel: ESPN2 has also been home to the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) championship for several years, and its 2025 edition was the most-watched ESPN2 broadcast of that day with over 969K unique live viewers.

The wins: Appearing on Victory+ and ESPN2 has leveled up the league’s exposure — WNFC reported a 45% boost in live viewership from the beginning of the 2025 season thanks to its Victory+ deal, accompanied by record highs in merch and ticket sales. The league also stepped up its sponsorship game, signing major deals with Dove, Adidas, and Riddell.

• WNFC “got the big ones,” King said about landing Adidas and Dove. “With any sports league, for leagues [that] want to be respected, it’s important to have those sponsorships,” adding that partnerships with well-known brands drive credibility, especially when it comes to media rights deals.

Zooming out: Securing a multiyear ESPN2 deal is a positive sign both for the WNFC and overall interest in women’s tackle football, which is growing as the league sees better exposure. And while a nationally-televised title game is big, so is an entire season: AUSL aired all regular-season games across ESPN networks in 2025 and saw an 88% YoY viewership boost from the previous season.

• The WNFC’s growing Victory+ viewership is also empowering the burgeoning sports streamer, which has stepped in to fill the gap from previous RSNs and is becoming a major player with WNBA team deals. But it’s not the only game in town — and both leagues and streamers are getting more competitive than ever. Game on.