The NWSL is packing the house, as the league reported it’s pacing toward another attendance milestone with nine of 16 clubs averaging more than 10,000 fans per game.
Expansion side Denver leads the surge with 20,579 fans per game, buoyed by its home opener against Washington, which drew a league-record 63,004 to the NFL’s Empower Field.
Portland (19,079) and Washington (15,527) are also driving growth, with the Spirit on track for a franchise record and the Thorns nearing their highest total since 2019.
Nine clubs are currently clearing 10,000 fans, up from seven in 2024 — a sign of steady progress since the NWSL’s 35.4% leap in 2023.
The 2027 World Cup could spark another bump, as major tournaments have historically boosted turnout by an average of 26.6% over the prior season.
“We know that major tournaments inspire millions of people to follow the sport, and our schedule allows us to be part of the lead-in and the lead-out of that big moment,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said at last week’s press conference.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman left Citi Field on Wednesday night confident she had witnessed a turning point for the 13-year-old women’s soccer league.
Gotham FC’s 1-0 Queens Classic win over the Washington Spirit drew a sold-out crowd of 42,175 fans. It marked New York City’s largest-ever women’s sporting event, as well as the NWSL’s second-largest audience behind 2026 expansion side Denver’s 63,004-strong Empower Field matchup.
For Berman, a packed MLB ballpark on a weeknight in July — during one of the sports calendar’s busiest months — said everything she needed to know about the future of the NWSL and Gotham’s impending move to neighboring Etihad Park.
"My favorite thing about tonight is that it isn’t transactional," Berman told reporters at halftime. "It’s not a one-and-done. This is the beginning of a new relationship for this team in Queens."
Of course, pulling off the match took coordination. The game slotted into the league’s Wednesday night ESPN block but competed with the ESPY Awards. Berman said the league office, ESPN, Gotham, and the NWSLPA worked in concert to make the 8 PM ET kickoff happen.
The turnout, she suggested, was proof the product sells itself.
"If you put it on in a place that is professional and makes people want to come, they will come and have a great time," she said. She went on to note that more than five NWSL games have drawn 40,000+ fans over the past two years.
Queens Classic Serves as Launchpad as Gotham Nears NYC Move
Now in her fourth year at the helm, Berman framed the night as a launchpad. Gotham FC will permanently join MLS team NYCFC in Queens in 2028. And the commissioner asserts that landing in the country’s biggest city only ups the league’s profile.
"When I think about the future state of the NWSL two years from now, we’ll be in our new media rights deal," Berman said. "We will be an 18-team league, the largest we’ve ever been by a significant margin. And to have a team competing in New York City proper, I think puts us on a map in a very different way."
The talent keeps flowing in, too. When asked about blockbuster Gotham signing Sam Kerr’s return and USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps’s imminent Denver Summit debut, Berman linked the moves to steadfast investment.
"Anytime an elite player chooses to come and play here, it’s a testament to all of the hard work we’re doing to build the kind of environments that attract and retain top talent," she said.
"[It’s] the literal hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested across this league, across 18 cities, to make sure that we’re the best league in the world."
Jessica Berman Likens NWSL Growth Trajectory to Running a Startup
With that investment comes aggressive growth. The NWSL has gone from eight founding teams in 2013 to 16 this season with two more in the works. That acceleration has raised eyebrows across the industry, as some squads experience attendance drops while others surge. Meanwhile, franchises are bought and sold at rapidly escalating valuations.
But according to Berman’s estimation, it’s right on target.
"I’ve been really fortunate to work at all of the major professional leagues while they’ve been in a growth phase," she reflected.
"That growth has been more iterative — 5% or 10% year over year. Here, it’s really more like the launch of a startup. We’ve created something that people didn’t know could exist just a few years ago. And we’re here for it."
The commissioner also signaled demand for more showcase events. She relayed that while converting a baseball diamond or NFL field into a soccer pitch is a tough task, it’s clearly worth it.
"I was in Denver earlier this year when they had 63,000 people in Empower. And there isn’t a single person that I’ve heard of or met who experienced that who didn’t say ‘I want more of that,’" she said. "We’re excited to continue to bring that life."
Pressed on whether Citi Field could host more Gotham matches before 2028, Berman didn’t hesitate.
"Based on the success of this game tonight, we’d be foolish to not consider it," she said. "It’s clear that there’s an appetite."
No. 4 Gotham threw a record-setting party in Queens, as Rose Lavelle’s first-half strike lifted the reigning NWSL champion past No. 2 Washington 1-0 in front of 42,175 fans — an New York City women’s sports record.
On her bobblehead night, Lavelle curled a long stunner into the far post in the 37th minute, echoing her performance in last year’s title match shutout.
“Good thing it went in,” the US midfielder joked afterward. “Because if I missed it and I didn’t cross to Esther that would have been bad.”
Australia captain Sam Kerr made her long-awaited NWSL return in the 64th minute to deafening applause, immediately slipping into Gotham’s high press.
“It’s a good preview,” said Gotham defender Mandy Freeman. “We're hoping to see more of her stretching ability, the way she can connect with the midfield and get behind... Sam is a great, well-experienced player, having her on the team has been a joy.”
Both teams battled 90-degree heat and a wildfire-driven haze that forced two hydration breaks per half, breaking up the game.
“If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing — that’s my opinion,” Spirit star Trinity Rodman told reporters. “But at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people… It was a hard situation for everybody.”
“Can I be honest? I don’t like them,” echoed Washington coach Adrián González. “It kills the momentum.”
Gotham FC has already set an NWSL record before the first whistle at Citi Field.
The reigning NWSL champions announced Wednesday that ticket sales for July's Queens Classic have passed 29,000, breaking the New York City attendance record for a women's sporting event. Coco Gauff previously held that mark, when 28,144 fans witnessed her 2023 US Open title run.
NWSL Aims for Historic Night at Citi Field
The Gotham FC match will also be the first professional women's sporting event hosted by the Mets' home stadium, and the first NWSL game played within New York City limits.
To mark the milestone, the club launched a 24-hour flash sale with tickets priced at $28.14 — a nod to the old record.
Still, the draw goes beyond the venue. The standalone showcase is a 2025 NWSL Championship rematch between Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit. USWNT teammates Rose Lavelle and Trinity Rodman are set to lead their squads yet again with kick-off at 8 PM ET on ESPN.
Pregame festivities include a 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal watch party, a live recording of the Welcome to the Party podcast featuring USWNT legends Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, and Footy Fest hosted by World Cup champion Sam Mewis.
In addition, the first 7,500 fans through the gates at Citi Field will receive a commemorative Rose Lavelle bobblehead.
The Summit reached new heights on Saturday, when the 2026 expansion team shattered the NWSL single-game attendance record with 63,004 fans turning out to watch Denver take on the Washington Spirit in their first-ever home match.
The Mile High Stadium crowd topped the league's previous 40,091-fan high-mark set by Bay FC last season, while also smashing Seattle's doubleheader attendance record of 42,054 fans from 2023.
"I will never forget walking out of that tunnel today and hearing the crowd screaming for us," said Denver captain Janine Solis, with the Summit already keeping pace above the playoff line.
The big day yielded few fireworks, however, as Saturday's 0-0 finish gave each team a point but extended the Spirit's 2026 winless streak.
After dropping their season opener to the Portland Thorns, the 2025 NWSL runners-up have logged three consecutive draws, with Washington now sitting in 12th place on the league table.
"We've been moving in the right direction," Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt said. "It's just going to take time to build that chemistry."
"We're not going to get obsessed with one result," said Washington manager Adrián González. "We know we want to get better every week, and this is what we are doing."
How to watch the Denver Summit, Washington Spirit this weekend
Both Denver and Washington will hit the road for the West Coast this weekend, starting with the Summit visiting the Seattle Reign at 8:45 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on ION.
Then at 5 PM ET on Sunday, the Spirit will take on Bay FC to close out NWSL play prior to the April international window, with live coverage airing on ESPN2.
The NWSL ushered in its 2026 season with a bang, as the newly expanded 16-team league's opening weekend shattered attendance records across the country.
All eight games combined for crowds of 129,202 total fans. With an average of 16,150 fans per match, last weekend clocked in as the best-attended opening campaign in NWSL history.
Seven of the eight matches drew more than 10,000 fans, logging a new league record for most opening weekend matches surpassing that mark — far exceeding the four-match record set in 2023 and 2025.
Leading the charge by a wide margin was 2026 expansion side Boston Legacy FC, with the NWSL newcomers welcoming 30,207 fans to Foxborough's Gillette Stadium for the club's inaugural home opener against reigning champs Gotham FC on Saturday.
Elsewhere, the season's first match between Portland and Washington ranked second in attendance after a sellout crowd of 19,215 packed into the Spirit's Audi Field for the Thorns' win.
More than 14,000 fans also showed up for the home openers of Angel City (16,813), the Orlando Pride (16,120), and the San Diego Wave (14,078).
Meanwhile, 2024 expansion side Bay FC extended their perfect 10,000+ season-opening crowd streak with 13,110 fans on Saturday.
Defending Shield-winners Kansas City also continued their perfect attendance, as Saturday's 11,500 crowd became the Current's 27th straight regular-season home sellout since CPKC Stadium opened in March 2024.
Though the 2026 opening weekend's attendance total is in part bolstered by the inventory added by two new clubs, the per-match average could be an early indicator that the NWSL is putting 2025's attendance concerns in the rearview.
The Boston Legacy and Denver Summit entered the NWSL with a bang, as the league's newest teams opened their 2026 campaigns with red cards in twin Saturday losses.
Both Boston defender Bianca St-Georges and Denver full-back Janine Sonis left their clubs shorthanded in their franchise debuts by earning the young NWSL season's first two red cards.
The results reflected the clubs' on-pitch frustrations, as the Legacy fell 1-0 to reigning champion Gotham FC before the Summit lost 2-1 to Bay FC.
It wasn't all disappointment, however, as Boston set a new inaugural home opener attendance record when more than 30,200 fans packed into Gillette Stadium.
"This environment — to the players, to women's football — I think contributes a lot to the game," said Boston head coach Filipa Patão. "We need to continue to do that."
That said, the Legacy's new record is likely to fall later this month, as Denver looks to break the NWSL's overall attendance mark after selling more than 50,000 tickets to the Summit's March 28th home opener at Mile High Stadium.
How to watch the Denver Summit and Boston Legacy next weekend
The newcomers will have another crack at it next weekend, starting when Denver visits the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage on Victory+.
Then on Saturday, Boston will face the Houston Dash at 4 PM ET, airing live on ION.
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.
Atlanta is reportedly next in line to join the NWSL, with sources telling The Athletic on Sunday that the Georgia capital has won the bid to field the league's 17th franchise, with the newest expansion club aiming to take the pitch in 2028.
AMB Sports & Entertainment — the parent company to MLS side Atlanta United and the NFL's Falcons — shelled out a record $165 million expansion fee to enter the league, a significant jump from the $110 million Denver Summit FC owners paid to snag the 16th NWSL club in January 2025.
With the Atlanta United routinely drawing some of the largest crowds across MLS, the move to Georgia allows the NWSL to tap into both the area's existing soccer fanbase as well as the United's pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the anticipated downtown home of the incoming women's club.
Also setting up shop in Atlanta in the near future is US Soccer, after AMB founder Arthur Blank donated $50 million to help fund the federation's 2026 relocation.
If confirmed, the Atlanta expansion will continue a wave of growth for the NWSL, with new teams kicking off their inaugural campaigns in Denver and Boston next year — despite rising concerns about dwindling attendance across several key markets.
The 2025 NWSL regular-season attendance numbers are in, with a Tuesday Sports Business Journal (SBJ) report outlining a 5% decline from the record highs the league saw in 2024.
Despite setting a new single-game record in August, the NWSL averaged 10,669 fans per match this season, down from average crowds of 11,250 last year — though the 2025 numbers do mirror 2023's attendance averages.
"Our underlying business is incredibly strong," NWSL COO Sarah Jones Simmer told SBJ, citing multiple single-game team highs. "Across the league, we're seeing consistent attendance growth, franchise-best seasons, and record-breaking moments in markets big and small."
The 2025 season saw the Portland Thorns unseat Angel City as the NWSL's top-supported team, with the LA club seeing a 15.8% drop in overall attendance before missing the playoffs for the second straight year.
ACFC's SoCal neighbor, the San Diego Wave, experienced the steepest 2025 fall, with ticket sales down 26.4% from 2024 and 35.2% from the 2022 expansion club's Shield-winning 2023 campaign.
Some teams did see gains, however, with the North Carolina Courage improving attendance by 40.8% over the last two years while the Washington Spirit's numbers jumped 42.3%, Gotham FC's rose 41.1%, and the 2024 champion Orlando Pride saw a massive 51.5% growth over the same period.
Though this year's attendance declines are not cause for immediate alarm, with two new teams launching next year — and even more in the pipeline — sustainability concerns are increasingly entering the expansion conversation.