The 2025 NWSL Championship claimed a major viewership milestone on Saturday, as Gotham FC's 1-0 title win over the Washington Spirit became the first-ever league match to record an average of more than one million viewers.
The CBS evening broadcast averaged an impressive 1.184 million fans and peaked at 1.55 million viewers, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time.
The 2025 final marked a 22% viewership increase over the 967,900 fans who watched 2024's Orlando Pride victory — the previous NWSL viewership record-holder — and a 45% ratings gain over Gotham's 2023 championship win, which averaged 816,800 viewers.
Saturday's gains both matched the 22% viewership increase the NWSL regular season saw this year and also far exceeded the 2025 postseason's pre-final year-over-year increase of 5%.
Calling the one-million viewer mark "an extraordinary achievement" in Tuesday's league statement, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman also noted that the "record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs, and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women's soccer on the biggest stages."
"We're incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game," Berman added.
Despite a slight dip in attendance, the NWSL has continued to see steady gains from its TV audience this year, posting a league-wide 22% viewership growth during the 2025 regular season.
Prior to last Saturday's title game, the NWSL reported that postseason viewership had risen 5% from the 2024 Playoffs, when the Orlando Pride completed a league-double Shield and championship win.
Even more, ABC and ESPN platforms saw their largest percentage hike for NWSL regular-season matches in history, with the audience growing an impressive 61% year-over-year — though CBS still touts the league's highest viewership average at 479,000 fans tuning in per 2025 match.
Three of ABC/ESPN's top matchups featured the Washington Spirit, with the Portland Thorns also making two appearances in the Top-5 most-watched games of the 2025 season on the platform.
Additionally, CBS's 2025 semifinal between Washington and Portland drew 548,000 viewers while the other NWSL semifinal between Orlando and reigning champs Gotham FC averaged 328,000 viewers on ABC.
Broadcast partner ION, which carries the most linear games each NWSL season, also claimed a 5% increase in overall viewership from 2024.
Ultimately, the NWSL remains competitive with other North American soccer leagues in finding an audience on TV, with the league now aiming to retain its star power in order to encourage even more growth.
No. 8 Gotham FC lifted the NWSL trophy on Saturday, as the NJ/NY club completed their 2025 postseason upset run with a 1-0 victory over the No. 2 Washington Spirit to win their second championship in three years — once again stealing the league title as the lowest playoff seed.
Clinching the championship was Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle, who broke through the back-and-forth battle with a looping 80th-minute strike to secure victory for the Bats — and earn the 2025 NWSL Final MVP title in the process.
"I always say you learn the most about yourself in the toughest moments," Lavelle said postgame. "The adversity we faced throughout the season really helped set us up to be prepared for this playoff push."
The Gotham defense also held court throughout Saturday's match, limiting Washington to zero shots on target while setting up their attack to seize a golden opportunity.
Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt suffered an ankle knock in the second half, leaving Washington down a player as she sought sideline treatment — only for Lavelle to seal the deal moments after the visibly uncomfortable Hershfelt retook the pitch.
"Obviously now we can say that maybe [substituting Hershfelt] was late, but she was trying to push," said Spirit manager Adrián González, who pulled Hershfelt moments after Lavelle's goal.
Proving their dismissal of their underdog status throughout the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, the Bats successfully survived a veritable postseason gauntlet en route to their second title, ousting both the top-seeded Kansas City Current — the winningest team in league history — and 2024 champions Orlando before facing the No. 2-seed Spirit.
"We have so much talent on this team, and we underperformed [in the regular season]," explained Gotham defender Emily Sonnett. "Being able to have that reset going into the postseason was huge for us."
NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman is defending the league's salary cap, addressing growing concerns about player retention this week — just days before soon-to-be free agent Trinity Rodman takes the San Jose pitch for Saturday's 2025 Championship match.
"We want Trinity in the NWSL, and we will fight for her," said Berman about the Washington Spirit star, responding to a report in The Athletic claiming that competing US top-flight outfit Gainbridge Super League has offered Rodman a contract surpassing the NWSL's current salary cap limitations.
"She is representative, or a proxy, of our broader point, which is that we want top players to play here, and we believe that we are already doing that and can continue to attract those players," Berman added.
The NWSL's hard salary cap approach has come under fire amid recent high-profile departures of US talents like now-Chelsea FC teammates Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, but Berman insists that the mechanism remains crucial to the league's parity.
"There are teams in other leagues that could compete in our league, but there are no leagues that could compete with our league," she explained, emphasizing the unique position the NWSL holds in the global soccer landscape.
"Compensation is not the only thing that players consider when deciding where to play," she continued. "We look at a whole host of factors, on the basis of the conversations that we have with players from our league and from players around the world."
The NWSL also confirmed Berman's multi-year contract extension this week, with executive committee chair Carolyn Tisch Blodgett saying in a statement that "[Berman's] vision for sustainable growth, along with her ability to fuel enduring momentum, has positioned the league for long-term success."
The soccer season's biggest showdown has finally arrived, as the No. 2 Washington Spirit and No. 8 Gotham FC take the pitch for Saturday's 2025 NWSL Championship match in San Jose.
Both teams enter the final steeped in postseason experience, with the Spirit winning their first title in 2021 before falling just short of a second in 2024, while Gotham lifted their first trophy in 2023.
"It feels like another NWSL game — we have competitive people on both sides," Gotham forward Midge Purce told JWS this week. "And it's fun. Stakes are high."
Despite entering as the postseason's No. 8 seed, Gotham insists they're far from underdogs, while the Spirit also view Saturday's matchup as a heavyweight bout.
"Both teams, we have different players but a similar idea — we all want to be protagonists," said Washington manager Adrián González. "Both teams want to win the ball as quick as possible. We love pressing high. I think it's going to be a good game for the fans."
"It's two teams that are very good tactically, two teams that are going to study how to counterpart each other," agreed Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "Then it's going to be those moments of brilliance — it could be set pieces — certain moments where players take responsibility."
How to watch the 2025 NWSL Championship
The 2025 NWSL season comes down to Saturday's final between No. 8 Gotham FC and the No. 2 Washington Spirit.
This year's championship match kicks off from San Jose at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on CBS.
Gotham FC's Emily Sonnett would like everyone to know that her longtime teammate and close friend Rose Lavelle is a very good defender.
"Cannot forget that," she told Just Women's Sports at Thursday's NWSL Championship Media Day. "Gotta write about that."
A World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist with the US women's national team, the respect that Lavelle almost instantly garners from the opposition creates significant space for her Gotham teammates. And since joining the team in 2024, she's taken well to the club's high-pressing, quick-transition style.
"She takes up a lot of attention," said Sonnett. "The way that she leads silently on the field, like a ghost — you don't know when she's going to get [the ball] and do something brave, and then, bam, she's there."
Gotham teammates spotlight Lavelle’s two-way brilliance
Lavelle has been a constant during Gotham’s unlikely championship run, both a locker room leader and a Fellow Gotham and USWNT star Midge Purce would also like everyone to know about Lavelle's prowess on both sides of the ball.
"It's hard to describe when you play with someone who's that good, it's just special," she said. "She can do special things on and off the ball — something she doesn't get a ton of credit for."
She's such a force, in fact, that Purce wasn't aware of the one achievement that's eluded Lavelle throughout her illustrious career — winning an NWSL title.
"Rosie, I didn't realize!" Purce exclaimed upon learning she's never won a league championship — despite being on the Gotham squad that took down Lavelle's Seattle (née OL) Reign in the 2023 NWSL Final. "She deserves the world."
From Breakers to Gotham: Rose Lavelle's winding NWSL journey
Lavelle needs little introduction to a soccer audience. A perennial winner on the international stage and a midfield maestro with the ball at her feet, the 30-year-old is a fixture of the global women's game. But her NWSL career has been a bit more nuanced.
A Wisconsin standout with serious USWNT interest right out of college, Lavelle signed her first professional contract with the now-defunct Boston Breakers in 2018, entering a league almost unrecognizable to today's thriving NWSL ecosystem.
Boston folded the following year, sending Lavelle to Washington during a dark competitive period for the Spirit. She was later somewhat unceremoniously traded to Seattle in 2021, while playing overseas with the WSL's Manchester City. That Reign team went on to fall to none other than Gotham FC in the 2023 NWSL Championship — with Lavelle scoring Seattle's only goal.
In 2024, Lavelle got to make her own choices. She jumped ship, signing with the NY/NJ club that so silenced Seattle the previous season as part of a flashy free agency class.
How Lavelle battled injury and reclaimed her NWSL influence
Regardless of tonight's outcome, Lavelle's greatest triumph this season might simply be taking the pitch for a full 90 minutes. The 30-year-old has struggled with injuries throughout her professional career, but bouncing back from offseason ankle surgery was especially taxing. Her prolonged recovery impacted her ability to make a difference on the field, as she watched Gotham's form waver early in 2025.
"It was a pretty big surgery," Lavelle said, acknowledging that she's had to adjust her role within the team to maintain a presence off the pitch.
So she found ways to stay involved. She shared opinions in team meetings, staying connected with teammates in order to forge a seamless transition once she could handle more significant playing time.
"She supported me for the first half of the season, when she wasn't even on the field," said rookie midfielder Sarah Schupansky. "And she didn't only support me, she supported the whole team."
Lavelle admitted that even now she doesn't feel 100%. But she also has a veteran's perspective on the bigger picture. "I still have to give myself the grace of acknowledging that it's going to be an up and down journey," she said.
"Being able to play with Rose, obviously, with the national team, has been incredible," Sonnett remarked. "But seeing the way that she's been able to train in NWSL, seeing that grit — I know she's battled through injury. [But] being able to see her train, I learn a lot from her."
Chasing the one women's soccer trophy that’s eluded her
Having won all there is to win at the international level, Lavelle's legacy doesn't ride on a single title. But her teammates would love to help check off that particular box on behalf of their locker room leader.
"I adore playing with her, and I adore her off the field," said Purce. "I definitely want to see her lift that trophy — she's going to be just fantastic."
As for Lavelle herself, the game is the fun part. And raising a trophy at the end of 90 minutes is just a benefit of the greater goal.
"This is what you play for," said Lavelle.
"This season is so long and hard. But then you get to these moments and this is the fun part, win or go home. We're all just fighting for each other, amped up, playing every single day."
Star England defender Esme Morgan made an impression on her new Washington Spirit teammates even before she set foot on US soil — just by the sound of her voice.
"Looking at Es on social media before she came, I just thought her voice was so angelic," Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury told Just Women's Sports at NWSL Championship Media Day in San Jose. "Even the first weeks, I couldn't even focus on what she was saying — I'm like, 'I am in the presence of the Queen.'"
If the former Manchester City defender wasn't already the NWSL team's quintessential English international, she cemented her prowess after winning a European Championship with the Lionesses earlier this summer. Since joining the Spirit in 2024, the center back has become a player to watch on both sides of the Atlantic, after making a bet on herself by transferring to the notoriously fast-paced NWSL in search of greater responsibility on the pitch.
A die-hard NFL fan with a bubbly personality and loyal TikTok following, Morgan immediately took to life in the US. Her proper British accent belies a fierce competitor on the field. She's a force in the locker room, fusing social connections that greatly contributed to the Spirit reaching a second straight NWSL final. And she's also good for more than a little bit of banter.
"Es is just super entertaining, she's really good at getting under my skin," added Kingsbury with a laugh. "She brings… a lot of sunshine to the locker room, and obviously is just a fun person to play with."
But it's not all puppies and rainbows. Ceding last year's championship to the Orlando Pride still stings for Morgan. And she's turned that pain into intensity — one that's fueled her and her teammates all the way back to the precipice of NWSL glory.
How Esme Morgan energized Washington Spirit’s team culture
Washington's camaraderie is palpable, something midfielder Hal Hershfelt credits in part to Morgan's readiness to spend time with her teammates off the pitch, no matter the occasion.
"Honestly, she came to the team and we did a lot more team events and stuff like that," she said. "She's so extroverted, willing to get people together, get people grooving."
Morgan recalls a time early in the 2025 preseason, after Spirit captain Andi Sullivan announced she was pregnant with her first child ("the whole team had gone crazy," she remembered). A group of players had ridden their bikes to get ice cream, including recent signing Narumi Miura, who had only been in market for a few days.
"We were all just chatting about [Sullivan], and Rumi goes, 'I love this team!'" Morgan said. "She'd been here four days. We were like, 'Oh my gosh, Rumi, we love you too!' I think that speaks to the environment that we have."
The team's comfort with one another is also evident on the pitch, whether it's Morgan and midfielder Croix Bethune hitting Cam Ward's football celly in front of Audi Field's sold-out home crowd, or the trust permeating the defense as they confront ongoing injuries.
"We definitely hold each other to high standards," said Kingsbury. "We all really want to win, and we all really want to do well for each other."
Esme Morgan bets on the NWSL to elevate her England career
Morgan arrived in the US on a mission.
She was named to England's World Cup squad in 2023, but spent the tournament on the bench, watching on as an unused substitute as the Lionesses finished second to Spain.
So when she got the opportunity to transfer to the NWSL the following year, proving her national team worth was front of mind.
"She wanted to take a step forward, knowing that this league would challenge her," said Washington manager Adrián González. "I think she's done an amazing job, especially adapting herself to the type of games we have here."
The defender favors the NWSL's summer schedule, as it allows her to stay in shape for major international tournaments. And as she told JWS earlier this year, the US league's speedy, possession-oriented style has made her a better overall player. Morgan had always been good with the ball at her feet, but her time in Washington has significantly improved her off-ball positioning and ability to go toe-to-toe with the world's best attackers.
Her desire to improve only grew stronger after the Spirit fell short of last year's NWSL title. "That was something that at the time provided a huge fire inside me," she said. "I worked super hard in the off-season, doing things on the pitch that I knew would complement the areas of the game that I wanted to improve."
From Euros glory to NWSL grind: Esme Morgan returns to form
The work is paying off. She played a key role as a reserve center back in the Lionesses's successful UEFA Women's Euro defense this summer, replacing Gotham defender — and 2025 NWSL Championship opponent — Jess Carter in England's hard-fought semifinal victory over Italy. She went on to lift the trophy with her national team teammates, after avenging their World Cup loss against Spain in the European Championship final.
Winning a major international title accomplished a childhood dream, but Morgan had to quickly re-orient herself after rejoining the Spirit in DC.
"Immediately after the Euros was when I felt the most tired. It was just like a come-down after that high," she reflected. "But I've since rallied and [felt] fresh and ready coming into the last couple of games."
How team love fuels the Washington Spirit's NWSL Championship quest
Heading into tonight's NWSL Championship, Morgan's focus on winning hasn't changed. But the source of her desire has shifted some, a full year after last year's disappointing exit. Washington faced adversity due to injury this season, in many ways mirroring their 2024 arc. But they've also continued to prioritize joy — on and off the pitch.
"We've overcome lots of challenges as a group, but stuck together throughout," Morgan said. "Now my passion and desire to win this weekend comes not from me losing out last year. It comes from the love I have for this group and the desire to win with these girls."
Another thing driving her? A victory tonight would put Morgan in rare company, completing her 2025 trophy case with both an international and league.
"I had the best time in the summer, achieved a lifelong goal. And ever since I've come to the Spirit, I've wanted to win the championship," she said. "It would be the perfect year, really."
Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga cleaned up at the inaugural NWSL Awards on Wednesday, with the standout striker receiving three different 2025 honors — including a second straight MVP trophy.
After the Malawi international fueled the Current's Shield-winning season, Chawinga followed up her 2025 NWSL MVP award with back-to-back Golden Boot titles and a spot on this year's Best XI lineup.
"I should thank my teammates, without my teammates I know I cannot achieve these things," she told the crowd. "A lot of great players, so I'm so grateful that [media] chose me, and the players, and the coaches."
Following the most successful season in both club and league history, Kansas City landed an impressive five players on the 2025 Best XI First Team, including Goalkeeper of the Year Lorena.
Gotham FC defender Lilly Reale claimed Rookie of the Year, the Washington Spirit's Tara McKeown took home Defender of the Year, the North Carolina Courage's Manaka Matsukubo won Midfielder of the Year, and Bev Yanez earned Coach of the Year for leading Racing Louisville to the 2021 expansion club's best-ever finish and first postseason appearance.
"I'm a firm believer that I'm only as good as the people around me," Yanez said after becoming the first person to ever make the NWSL Playoffs as both a manager and a player. "I've been supported not only from a staff perspective, but a player perspective and a club perspective."
With the awards ceremony in the rearview mirror, the league now turns to the final test of the year — Saturday's star-studded 2025 NWSL Championship.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL Championship
No. 8 Gotham FC will battle the No. 2 Washington Spirit in San Jose for this year's NWSL title on Saturday.
The 2025 NWSL season's grand finale will kick off at 8 PM ET, airing live on CBS.
The No. 2 Washington Spirit are heading back to the NWSL Championship, booking a second straight trip to the title match after silencing the No. 3 Portland Thorns in front of another sellout home crowd on Saturday.
The Spirit began the match on the front foot, with forward Gift Monday notching her second postseason goal in the 27th minute before midfielder Croix Bethune's 83rd-minute empty-net strike secured Washington the 2-0 semifinal result.
"I feel like we've been in this steady spot," Bethune said following Saturday's match. "These past two games honestly have been the best soccer that we've played."
Dealing with availability issues as of late, the semifinal saw center back Tara McKeown return to Washington's lineup after an ankle knock forced the center back to exit the Spirit's quarterfinal match, with second-half sub Trinity Rodman also making her return while defender Gabby Carle remained sidelined.
"I was playing, and that's that," McKeown told reporters after putting in a 90-minute performance in the shutout.
"I think Spirit is definitely the better team — I think that can kind of go without being said," Portland captain Sam Coffey reflected. "They outplayed us for sure, and I think they definitely have all the pieces to go and win the whole thing."
How to watch the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship
Saturday's result sends the No. 2 Washington Spirit to the 2025 NWSL Championship in San Jose, where they'll face No. 8 Gotham FC on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on CBS.
No. 8 Gotham FC secured their second playoff upset on Sunday, as a last-minute strike from forward Jaedyn Shaw earned the Bats a dramatic 1-0 semifinal win over the defending champion No. 4 Orlando Pride — and a ticket to next weekend's 2025 NWSL Championship.
The Pride had more chances throughout the closely contested match, but Shaw's masterful direct kick in second-half stoppage time ended Orlando's repeat bid.
"I'm grateful that everybody trusts me to step up in those moments," the 20-year-old midseason signee said postgame. "It starts on the training field, I feel the staff has really helped me improve my free kicks and all set pieces."
Also boosting Gotham's front line on Sunday was 2025 MVP finalist Esther, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the Bats' quarterfinal due to injury.
While Gotham saw the return of their season's top scorer, Orlando entered the match without Pride star striker Barbra Banda, ultimately failing to overcome her ongoing absence due to a midseason SEI.
"I think we were so resilient this season," Pride captain Marta said after the match. "Many people believed that we couldn't go so far, especially after we lost Barbra."
"[Gotham] have a good team, but we needed to be just a little bit more aggressive overall," she added. "We needed to put the ball in."
How to watch Gotham FC in the 2025 NWSL Championship
Sunday's result sends No. 8 Gotham FC to the 2025 NWSL Championship in San Jose, where they'll face the No. 2 Washington Spirit on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on CBS.