After the USWNT triumph in Paris, the best female footballers in the world return to the regular season
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After winning her After winning their first Olympic gold since 2012, the USWNT return as heroes – but they’re also rivals again. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) had a seven-week break as its star players packed up their boots for Paris. But the champions had to keep their celebrations short, as the regular season resumes on August 23.
Whether you have a season ticket or are just tuning in after the Olympics, there’s never been a better time to be a women’s soccer fan. However, fans looking to stream the games will find that the NWSL’s availability is a confusing patchwork of free and premium networks and streaming services. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best options for streaming all NWSL games without cable.
The best way to find every game is to check the NWSL schedule, which has a full breakdown of every game and where they can be streamed. According to the NWSL, the games will be streamed as follows:
- Weekly Friday night games on Prime Video.
- Weekly doubleheader on Saturday night on ION.
- Regular season games will be broadcast on CBS Television Network and Paramount+, with additional games airing on CBS Sports Network.
- ESPN broadcasts games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+
There are a few different ways to watch these channels, including streaming packages that get you most of the action. Here’s a breakdown of the different streamers.
How to watch the NWSL this season
DirecTV Stream
You can try DirecTV Stream’s Ultimate package for free for three months. It’s the most comprehensive option for streaming the NWSL. The Ultimate package includes ESPN and ESPN2. It’s the cheapest package and also includes CBS Sports Network, which airs some of the games but isn’t included in Paramount+. ION, which airs many of the games, is a free channel included with DirecTV Stream. Depending on your region, DirecTV Stream should also carry local affiliates of CBS, which air some of the games.
Prime Video
Prime Video offers Friday night games this season, as well as an extensive TV and movie library and perks like free shipping that come with a Prime membership. You can save a few bucks a month by getting an annual membership, which costs $139. If you’d rather just pay for Prime Video and don’t want the other Prime perks, a membership costs $8.99 a month.
Paramount+ with Showtime
With Paramount+, you get access to CBS to stream many games, including top matches between the reigning champions Gotham FC and Portland Thorns and a Southern California rivalry between San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC. Women’s soccer games are included in the Paramount+ plan with Showtime, but not in the Paramount+ Essential plan.
Hulu + Live TV
Hulu + Live TV includes a 3-day free trial and costs $76.99/month after that. CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, and ESPN 2 are included in Hulu + Live TV, making it one of the most comprehensive options for streaming women’s soccer. However, ION is not included.
NWSL+
For games not offered by other networks and streamers, check out NWSL+, a free streamer that only requires an email address to sign up. The app is available on Amazon Firestick, Roku, and Apple TV.
How to watch ION
ION is broadcasting Saturday night games this season. It’s a free channel available over-the-air (OTA), meaning you can watch it with a TV antenna or cable subscription, depending on your region. Those without an antenna can find ION using a free service like Pluto or Tubi, or using their smart TV’s native platform like Google TV, Fire TV, and Roku.
Players to keep an eye on
Forward Mallory Swanson was the U.S. team’s leading scorer in Paris, scoring the only goal in the gold medal final between the U.S. and Brazil. In the NWSL, Swanson plays for the Chicago Red Stars. Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman and Portland Thorns FC’s Sophia Smith also scored multiple goals for the U.S. team. Alex Morgan was part of the U.S. team’s winning squads at the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 and 2019 World Championships, but was not selected for Paris by head coach Emma Hayes. Morgan currently plays for San Diego Wave FC. The regular season ends on November 3, and the final is on November 23.
