NWSL COO Sarah Jones Simmer discusses the league’s growth strategy ahead of 2026 season kick-off

In 2025, everyone wanted in on the NWSL. Average crowds exceeded 10K for the third straight year, including a record 40K at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, while season viewership rose 22% YoY (especially among young women).

• This year, national broadcast partners are covering 220 matches, and Denver Summit FC’s March 28th home opener has sold over 50K tickets, which should reset the U.S. record for the highest-attended women’s pro sports event.

Women’s soccer is skyrocketing in popularity worldwide, but growth in the NWSL has a very specific engine. Jones Simmer says it starts with “the quality of the product on the field,” aka the players, which is why the league is going big on investing in them.

• The NWSL’s talent strategy, she said, is similar to the way “you think about attracting and retaining employees in any kind of company”: compensation is key. Just a few months ago, the league implemented the High Impact Player Rule (aka the Rodman Rule), named for the Washington Spirit star who preferred to stay stateside but wanted higher pay.

In an increasingly competitive global pro women’s soccer landscape, the league must be intentional about how it scales from here — that logic was a cornerstone of its recent athlete-forward CBA. Jones Simmer knows exactly how vital the athletes are and how to draw them to the league. Turning goals into gold.

Jones Simmer points to a healthy ecosystem that supercharges the league’s growth: Attracting the best players also draws fans, who in turn draw sponsors — something she dubs “the flywheel.”

• How does it work? Women’s soccer fans are often household decision-makers who are more likely to convert interest to sales, especially with sponsors in the space. Because brands are reaching consumers at a lower point in the consideration funnel, it’s an ideal way to reach the right audience.

• “It really feeds this cycle…when we generate more revenue or more cash from expansion fees, we can then reinvest that into the ecosystem and be able to continue to attract and retain those great players to deliver better fan experiences. And the spiral goes upward.”

The talent acquisition gameplan includes a focus on world-class training facilities and stadiums. Several teams have recently added these, and Atlanta’s expansion club — which debuts in 2028 — is already spending on premium digs. Like athletes, owners are competitive: “When those clubs begin to uplevel their training environments, it inspires other clubs to do the same.”

Ownership is another key part of the strategy: The NWSL only wants dedicated, passionate, and resourceful owners joining the league. With Boston, Denver, and the expansion teams since, ownership was as high a priority as the market.

• “We want high-quality owners who are willing to invest in their communities, invest in building a team, who know and understand what they're getting into — and we want a community that's ready to embrace that team,” Jones Simmer said.

• The Atlanta expansion took an even more nuanced approach, placing a premium on “deeply experienced ownership groups with ownership of teams in other leagues. …That's the sort of strategic sequencing that we try to deploy when we think about the role that expansion plays in helping to elevate the entire league."

The final piece of the healthy ecosystem is brand partners, and NWSL’s player- and fan-centered moves have brought in veteran and rookie sports sponsors. “I think what's really exciting is the NWSL’s value prop, and the fans that we reach, cater to experienced sports marketing brands” like drinkware brand Yeti and “brands that have never spent in sports before” like formula brand Bobbie.

• Just as the league is particular about its owners, it remains intentional about its partnerships. The NWSL wants brands that are interested in it as an independent league and disruptor property that’s scaling quickly.

• Jones Simmer said, “We live in this unique place where, because of the fans we reach, we can bring in brands who are engaging with sports for the first time, and they know they can bring their brand to life through the league and through the creative partnerships that will develop.”

Who are the fans that NWSL brings to the table? Jones Simmer explained how the league engages “some really interesting audiences,” naming two distinct consumer profiles — the “household CEO” and the “trendsetter”.

• As a mom, Jones Simmer is the “CEO of her household” and says much of the NWSL’s audience is comprised of such household decision-makers. She, like many NWSL fans, bases her purchasing decision on whether the brand’s values align with her own.

• The NWSL also reaches fans who are setting the cultural tone in a meaningful way, an audience brands are after because they want to influence trends. That’s why the NWSL works with E.l.f., a brand that really resonates with this audience.

Proving that point, E.l.f. and the NWSL doubled down on their partnership yesterday, while the league also announced a groundbreaking health advisory council with wellness partner CVS Health. Sponsors are creatively engaging, yet there’s still so much ground to cover.