After just two years into a three-year deal, the National Women’s Soccer League and A&E Networks are ending their partnership. While broadcasting the league on Lifetime will cease, the network will continue supporting the league through a sleeve-sponsorship agreement.
“A&E Networks and Lifetime were proud to support the amazing athletes of the NWSL and to have produced a first-class ‘Game of the Week’ product that highlighted their amazing talents,” A&E Networks COO, CFO David Granville-Smith said, per the release. “We are excited to continue to support the league with the sleeve sponsorship in 2019 and look forward to seeing the NWSL grow in the years to come.”
The NWSL and A&E Networks began their agreement in 2017, as the latter acquired an equity stake in the league. NWSL Media, which was spawned from the deal, then, led the league’s media and sponsorship initiatives; it will continue to do so in 2019 and the foreseeable future.
In 2019, the NWSL’s regular-season matches will be streamed on Yahoo! Sports. International fans can stream the games through the NWSL app and at NWSLsoccer.com.
The league will announce the full 2019 schedule on Thursday.
For more on the Pride and the rest of the NWSL, as the 2019 campaign approaches, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.
