The bigger picture
The Red Stars’ push into Wrigley comes during a period of rapid growth for the NWSL.
The league added two franchises this season—Bay FC and the Utah Royals—and is in the first year of a four-year, $240 million broadcast deal that places games on CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and the E.W. Scripps Company’s ION.
For ION, the Red Stars’ Wrigley Field matchup and a Mother’s Day meeting between Gotham FC and the San Diego Wave were the type of marquee events that piqued its interest in the NWSL and seemed mutually beneficial to the league and the sports-focused network—which also has a deal with the WNBA.
“In order for ION to be successful in airing women’s sports, these leagues need to be successful. In order for these leagues to be successful, we need advertiser support,” said Brian Norris, Scripps chief revenue officer. “It creates this flywheel effect where advertiser support and ION bring more eyeballs to the games as we promote and air these marquee events. We expect greater growth every year.”
Julie Haddon, the NWSL’s chief marketing and commercial officer, has made expanded league visibility a priority since coming over from the National Football League in 2022. However, while serving as a member of the Red Stars’ ownership from 2021 until her first day at the NWSL, Haddon remembers watching soccer players from the U.S. Women’s National Team return to Chicago and wondered how fans didn’t know players of that caliber were there.
The Midwest has proven remarkably more receptive to women’s sports since.
The University of Nebraska women’s volleyball team drew more than 92,000 fans to Memorial Stadium for a doubleheader in August 2023. In October, Caitlin Clark’s University of Iowa women’s basketball team drew more than 55,000 to Kinnick Stadium for their Crossover at Kinnick game against Chicago-based DePaul.
Plus, Chicago Sky fans are still petitioning to have their team’s matchups against Clark’s Indiana Fever moved to the Chicago Bulls’ home at the United Center. (“It would be fun to host that game as well,” Ricketts joked—as the Cubs host the New York Mets in June but are away on a 10-game road trip when Clark returns Aug. 30.)
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