When Jessica Berman walked into the NWSL commissioner’s office in 2022, the league was barely holding itself together. Scandals had shaken players and fans, and many wondered whether the league could survive at all. Team values were low, sponsors were hesitant, and trust was almost gone.
Fast forward to today, and the story feels almost unbelievable. Berman didn’t just steady the league; she helped it grow faster than anyone expected. Some team valuations have surged dramatically, with Angel City FC reaching around a $250 million valuation. The NWSL signed a massive $240 million media deal. Stadiums are filling up with total attendance crossing 2 million fans during the 2024 season.
The results have been nationally recognised, but the real impact is much bigger: she was able to prove that women’s sports, under good management and proper support, can flourish worldwide.
From Crisis to Credibility: Rebuilding Trust Through Governance
When Jessica Berman arrived at the NWSL in 2022, the league was still dealing with the fallout from one of the darkest periods in its history. Allegations of abuse had surfaced across multiple teams, and this controversy had already led to the removal of a previous commissioner. An independent investigation led by former US deputy attorney general Sally Yates confirmed what many players had been saying for years: abuse was allowed to continue, speaking up often came with consequences, and basic player protections were missing.
Berman didn’t try to soften the findings or shift responsibility. She publicly apologised and acted fast. Coaches identified in the report were banned for life, and two clubs were hit with heavy fines for enabling misconduct. For the first time, the league made it clear that no one was above accountability. She then focused on rebuilding trust. Regulations concerning player safety were tightened up, reporting systems were clarified, and players were brought into deliberations on how the league should be operated. With her expertise in labour relations, she worked with the players’ union to make sure players had their voice heard.
This mindset change, from dealing with crises to developing solid systems, marked a foundational level on which a new NWSL rebuilt itself, proving that a path towards progress in women’s sports will always begin with leadership listening and accepting responsibility.
The Media Revolution: Turning Content Into Commerce
The turning point for the NWSL came when Jessica Berman closed a media deal no women’s league had ever seen before. In late 2023, she secured a four-year, $240 million agreement with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps Sports, instantly changing how the league was seen, funded, and followed. Just a few years earlier, the league’s media deal was worth only $4.5 million over three seasons. Under Berman, that number jumped to $60 million a year. The coverage strategy was deliberate. Prime Video took over Friday nights. ION brought free Saturday doubleheaders into homes across the country. CBS kept the biggest moments, including the final, while ESPN expanded coverage across digital and international platforms.
For the first time, fans could expect to see NWSL matches every week, not just during major events. Sponsors followed, and so did audiences. Berman also made sure broadcasters committed to promoting the league, not just airing it.
The payoff didn’t take long. The 2024 season set records for viewership and attendance, passing 2 million fans for the first time. On the international stage, NWSL players were among the most represented professionals at the Paris Olympics, featuring across numerous national teams. What started as a media deal became a statement: the NWSL had arrived as the centre of women’s soccer.
Commercial Growth and Strategic Expansion
As media deals brought attention to the NWSL, the league’s business quietly transformed behind the scenes. Under Jessica Berman, team values climbed at a pace rarely seen in sports. In just three years, franchises that once paid $2 million to join the league are now worth more than $100 million. Angel City FC alone reached a $250 million valuation in 2024 when Willow Bay and Bob Iger took control. Across the league, team valuations have climbed into nine-figure territory, reflecting rapid commercial growth. That growth reflects more than hype. Structural changes helped teams build stable businesses, making long-term success possible rather than speculative.
Expansion followed the same disciplined approach. The league grew from 12 teams to 16, with new owners paying record fees. Bay Area investors paid $53 million to enter the league, while Denver’s ownership group committed $110 million, numbers that would have been unthinkable just a few years earlier. Those fees were reinvested into league operations and player compensation, lifting standards across the board. At the same time, the NWSL attracted a new class of owners. Actors, global athletes, and sports icons, from Natalie Portman to Serena Williams and Kevin Durant, bought into teams, bringing visibility and influence alongside investment.
Together, rising valuations, new ownership, and growing sponsorships have pushed the NWSL into rare territory: a women’s league now valued and treated like a global sports power.
Player Empowerment: Historic Collective Bargaining Achievements
One of Jessica Berman’s boldest moves came in her work with players. Instead of treating labour relations as a battleground, she approached them as a partnership, and the results changed the league. In 2024, the NWSL signed a collective bargaining agreement that eliminated the player draft, giving athletes full freedom to choose where they play. No other US professional sports league had ever taken that step. For Berman, the idea was simple: when players have control, the league gets stronger.
The agreement also brought real improvements. Pay increased, working conditions were improved, healthcare coverage was expanded, and a prize money pool of a million dollars was introduced for the first time in US women’s soccer. Free agency rules gave players more leverage and allowed salaries to better match their value.
That trust has paid off. Players who feel supported become ambassadors for the league, helping attract fans, sponsors, and global talent. Challenges remain, especially as European clubs offer bigger contracts, but under Berman, the NWSL has moved from an adversarial past to a more collaborative future.
Strategic Challenges and Future Vision
For all the progress made under Jessica Berman, the next stretch may be the hardest. The league’s growth is real, but so are the pressures that come with it. Keeping star players has become a concern. Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson have already moved to Chelsea, and questions surround whether the NWSL can hold onto talents like Trinity Rodman as European clubs offer bigger paydays. The league’s salary cap, designed to keep competition balanced, now sits at the centre of the debate.
Berman believes that balance is what makes the league exciting, arguing that fans benefit when any team can win on a given weekend. Some team executives, however, feel the league’s business success should be reflected more clearly in player investment and on-field quality. Trust has also been tested off the pitch. The handling of Angel City defender Savy King’s cardiac emergency sparked public debate around league-wide player safety protocols, while a later dispute over extreme heat conditions in Kansas City added to tensions between the league office and club owners.
Scheduling looms as another decision point. With MLS planning a shift to align with the global soccer calendar, the NWSL is weighing whether to follow suit, even as opinions inside the league remain divided.
Berman’s contract now runs through 2028, giving her time to address these issues. The next major test will come after the 2027 World Cup, when the league renegotiates its media rights. That moment may decide whether the NWSL’s rapid rise turns into long-term dominance or meets the limits of its current structure.
Legacy in Progress: Redefining Leadership in Women’s Sports
Jessica Berman didn’t just steady the NWSL; she changed how the league operates and how it is valued. What emerged under her leadership wasn’t simply a recovery, but a new way of running a women’s sports league.
Drawing on her years at the NHL and her experience breaking barriers as the first female deputy commissioner in a men’s professional league, Berman applied those lessons to women’s soccer with a clear focus on trust. Transparency and accountability came first, and with credibility restored, commercial partners followed.
Players were treated differently, too. Instead of being seen as expenses, they became partners. That shift allowed athletes to represent the league authentically, connecting with fans in ways no marketing campaign could manufacture. Media deals were structured not just to bring in money, but to ensure the league was seen, talked about, and followed week after week.
The impact shows up everywhere. Team values multiplied. Media revenue exploded. Attendance hit record levels. Today, the NWSL stands shoulder to shoulder with Europe’s Women’s Super League as one of the most important competitions in the women’s game. There are still hard choices ahead, and not every decision will be popular. But one thing is clear: under Jessica Berman, the NWSL has become a global force, and a case study in how strong leadership can change the future of women’s sports.
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