NWSL Nears National Broadcast Deal

In an NWSL conference call on Tuesday, commissioner Jeff Plush confirmed that the league is "very much in the final run of negotiations" to get a national broadcasting deal done and announced. Plush declined to name specifics and cited a variety of needs and wants among the parties involved, but said he was comfortable with the projected timing of a broadcast announcement. Plush also said that when the deal was announced, fans would see a "large focus on the second half of the season."

There are no plans as of yet for international distribution packages; Plush was frank in saying that the league was "not there yet," while also pointing to the work MLS has done with their international distribution as a good example. He said the league was working on enhancing its digital platforms and that youtube distribution would remain available globally.

On expansion, Plush said there was a "tremendous amount of interest," both public and private. Expansion discussion will comprise a significant amount of the annual spring board meeting in Houston. He anticipates having a more definitive timeline for expansion coming out of the meeting, and being able to announce plans for going forward in the next couple of months. Plush emphasized that they wanted the right owners in the right markets with the right venues, prioritizing long-term strategy over timelines.