On July 4th, the National Women’s Soccer League finally announced a television deal for the second half of the 2019 season. Fourteen matches will air across two different ESPN channels, with six games scheduled for ESPN2 (including the playoffs and championship in October) and eight games scheduled for ESPNEWS.



Before the start of the NWSL season, the outlook for the league was one of high hopes but big uncertainties. The league has at least managed to answer the largest question of all, and just in the nick of time before the conclusion of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The deal with ESPN isn’t a long-term answer—only the remainder of the 2019 season, through October, is addressed—but it may signal some promise for the league ahead. If the NWSL can prove its ability to draw viewers for ESPN, there might be room for women’s soccer not just on linear channels in 2020 and beyond, but also for streams on ESPN+ to live alongside MLS, the...