On Monday, the NWSL and Octagon announced a new partnership, though the agency has already been working with the league for roughly two weeks so far. The partnership is centered around media rights, but will involve consulting in other areas, including sponsorship valuation, and will also touch upon the league’s brand marketing and fan engagement insights. The goal is clear: sign new media rights deals, but also help grow the NWSL’s reach and recognition in the United States and internationally.



The move is a necessary one for the NWSL, especially with the relationship between the league and U.S. Soccer still in flux, as their contract wraps up at the end of 2019. The linear broadcast deal with ESPN and the digital agreement with Oath, where streams were first on Go90, then Yahoo! Sports for 2019, also end after this season.



“We’re excited about the relationship,” NWSL president Amanda Duffy told The Athletic last Friday. She said the...