Megan Rapinoe’s send-off broke more than just the NWSL attendance record. The OL Reign legend’s final home game also became the most-watched regular-season match in NWSL history.
The match drew 683,000 viewers, CBS announced Tuesday. It trails only the 2022 NWSL championship (915,000) among the most-watched games in league history. The match also was the the most-streamed regular season match ever on Paramount Plus.
CBS Sports' presentation of Washington Spirit vs. OL Reign is most-watched regular-season match in NWSL history. pic.twitter.com/3eTzgoZlA6
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) October 10, 2023
Already, OL Reign had set the NWSL attendance record, bringing 34,130 people to Lumen Field for Friday’s 0-0 draw with the Washington Spirit. That mark broke the record set by the San Diego Wave last year, and shows the upward trajectory of the league. But it also was the proper way to celebrate a legend.
And if you ask OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey, it’s something to be proud of – but also something to expect as the league moves forward.
“We have to do that every week,” Harvey said after the match. “We need to have extra resources to be able to do that and meet the exposure that the sport’s having… we need to have the capability to market ourselves at that level.”
Per recent reports, the NWSL’s new media rights deals will include four-year agreements with ESPN, CBS, Amazon and Scripps, which includes Ion. So the NWSL could be more accessible than ever for viewers.