The massive surge in attendance across women’s sports is being amplified in the NWSL, where the first few weeks have crushed attendance records. It is happening at the right time for the league which, unlike the WNBA, PWHL and other sports, faces stiff competition from abroad for talent.
Last weekend, 63,004 fans showed up at the Denver Summit game, a new team playing in the local football stadium. (The NFL is a men’s sport played with an oddly shaped leather ball that is rarely kicked, but that’s not the important part).
This is after the new Boston Legacy drew 30,207 to its first match. The Kansas City Current (11,500) and Washington Spirit (19,215) both sold out their home openers according to NWSL numbers. The great news is that the league is engaging local fan bases in many markets (Angel City, Orlando and San Diego all had crowds larger than 14,000.)
The caveat is that the season is long, and keeping those stadia filled will be more challenging. The NWSL season ends Nov. 1 and there is a hiatus for the North American World Cup this summer in June.
These are strong numbers to start. The NWSL is officially part of the surging attendance in women’s sports.
