The 2022 Ally Financial NWSL Championship, presented by Budweiser, to air on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 29, live from Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
CHICAGO (August 23, 2022) - The National Women’s Soccer League, Ally Financial and CBS Sports announced today that the 2022 Ally Financial NWSL Championship, presented by Budweiser, will air on the CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+ on Saturday, October 29 in its first-ever prime-time spot live from Audi Field, primary home of the defending NWSL Champion Washington Spirit and home of Major League Soccer Club, D.C. United. The game was moved from its originally scheduled time at Noon ET following a recent collaborative effort by Ally, CBS and the league.
Match coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, Paramount+ and internationally on Twitch, with pre-match coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+.
“We are delighted to bring the NWSL Championship to D.C. this year and, thanks to the continued collaboration with our partners at CBS and Ally, equally excited to present the match in its first-ever prime-time slot for fans tuning in across the country,” said NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman. “As we continue to advance the women’s sports landscape in the U.S. and around the world, this is a particularly significant moment for the league and an opportunity our players wholly deserve. We look forward to celebrating the end of a fantastic 10th anniversary season in person and on the air with what will surely be an exciting final.”
"Like sports fans across the country, we knew it was important to create a pathway to prime time for this year's NWSL championship game. We increased our media investment with CBS to help make it happen, delivering the first action in our promise to watch the game, change the game," said Andrea Brimmer, Ally’s chief marketing and public relations officer. “This is a huge win for the fans, for the players and the league, and for all brands that invest in women’s sports. We are thrilled to be bringing the game to more fans this year, in the spot the sport deserves."
“We are thrilled to present the NWSL Championship Game in prime time, creating more exposure and reach for this fantastic league as we showcase the best in soccer to a passionate fanbase as well as a new audience,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president, programming, CBS Sports. “We appreciate the partnership with the NWSL and Ally, as together we make league history in a historic year, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Title IX.”
“We are proud to be welcoming the 2022 NWSL Championship and some of the best athletes in the world to our home – Audi Field – to compete for the league title this season,” said Danita Johnson, D.C. United’s president of business operations. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and work with the NWSL to deliver a top-level championship game and an unforgettable fan experience for all who watch and travel to our beautiful stadium and our city.”
A soccer-specific, grass stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000, Audi Field serves as the home of Major League Soccer’s D.C. United and has been the primary venue for Spirit matches this season. The stadium, which is located in the fastest-growing neighborhood in downtown Washington, D.C. and just a mile from the National Mall, has hosted a variety of top-tier sporting events since it opened in 2018, including a 2019 CONCACAF Nations League fixture between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Cuba and the 2021 Premier Lacrosse League championship game.
To register for priority access to tickets for the 2022 NWSL Championship at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. please visit here. Priority pre-sale begins Wednesday, September 7, 2022 and grants you access to match tickets a day before they become available to the general public on Thursday, September 8, 2022. Additionally, D.C. United and Washington Spirit ticket members will receive exclusive pre-sale access.
The 2022 Ally Financial NWSL Championship, presented by Budweiser, is just one of the ways Budweiser activates its multi-year partnership with the league. As the first official beer sponsor of the NWSL, Budweiser is committed to supporting women's soccer on a year-round basis through experiences, digital content, award recognition and locally with teams and stadiums.
The 2022 NWSL playoffs will feature the top six teams at the end of the regular season, with the top two seeds earning a first-round bye to the semifinals. The quarterfinals are set to begin the weekend of Oct. 15-16 across CBS Sports Network and Paramount+, and the semifinals will take place the weekend of Oct. 22-23 on CBS Sports Network ahead of the Championship game on Oct. 29. All playoff matches will stream internationally on Twitch.
A variety of programming will surround this year’s Championship, including the return of Fan Fest. More details on all ancillary events will be announced in the coming weeks.
ABOUT NWSL
Established in 2012, The National Women’s Soccer League is the premier women’s professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. Beginning play in 2013 with eight original clubs, the league has since expanded to feature 12 teams, including Angel City FC, Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, and Washington Spirit.
ABOUT CBS SPORTS
CBS Sports, a year-round leader in cross-platform sports coverage, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including THE NFL ON CBS; college football, including the SEC ON CBS; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters®, PGA Championship and PGA TOUR; soccer, including the UEFA Champions League and NWSL; and CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR. In addition, the division includes CBS SPORTS NETWORK, the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports which televises live sports programming throughout the year, including college football and basketball games, UEFA Champions League and Europa League action, Italy's Serie A matches, Concacaf national team competitions, as well as a full slate of original programming and studio coverage. CBS Sports also delivers an extensive lineup of global soccer coverage on Paramount+, including every UEFA club competition match, all Serie A matches as well as Concacaf national team competitions, and produces INSIDE THE NFL for Paramount+. CBS Sports Digital's multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices; the 24/7 streaming sports news network CBS Sports HQ; 247Sports; MaxPreps; CBS Sports fantasy games; and SportsLine.
ABOUT ALLY FINANCIAL
Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a digital financial services company committed to its promise to "Do It Right" for its consumer, commercial and corporate customers. Ally is composed of an industry-leading independent auto finance and insurance operation, an award-winning digital direct bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, which offers mortgage lending, point-of-sale personal lending, and a variety of deposit and other banking products), a consumer credit card business, a corporate finance business for equity sponsors and middle-market companies, and securities brokerage and investment advisory services. Our brand conviction is that we are all better off with an ally, and our focus is on helping our customers achieve their strongest financial well-being, a notion personalized to what is important to them. For more information, please visit www.ally.com and follow @allyfinancial.
MEDIA CONTACTS
NWSL
Kirsten Brierley
kbrierley@nwslsoccer.com
Ally
Justin Nicolette
Justin.Nicolette@ally.com
CBS Sports
Bailey Knecht
Bailey.Knecht@cbs.com