Offering greater access to the NWSL through WSN’s FAST channel
NEW YORK
(April 25, 2023)
– FAST Studios’ Women’s Sports Network, the groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind 24/7 network dedicated to women’s sports, announces its new and exclusive partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), becoming an Official FAST (free ad-supported TV) media partner of the League for non-live match content. The NWSL aims to utilize the Women’s Sports Network’s platform to further drive viewership, spotlight players, and extend brand partner opportunities through interviews, features, long-form storytelling, and a signature weekly highlight show called VERSUS. The two brands come together to increase access, representation, and visibility for women in sports, closing the gap in media coverage for these phenomenal athletes and giving sports fans around the world deeper connections.
NEW YORK
(April 25, 2023)
– FAST Studios’ Women’s Sports Network, the groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind 24/7 network dedicated to women’s sports, announces its new and exclusive partnership with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), becoming an Official FAST (free ad-supported TV) media partner of the League for non-live match content. The NWSL aims to utilize the Women’s Sports Network’s platform to further drive viewership, spotlight players, and extend brand partner opportunities through interviews, features, long-form storytelling, and a signature weekly highlight show called VERSUS. The two brands come together to increase access, representation, and visibility for women in sports, closing the gap in media coverage for these phenomenal athletes and giving sports fans around the world deeper connections. As part of the partnership, the Women’s Sports Network will show NWSL highlights and player interviews on the network’s signature daily studio show GAME ON. The Women’s Sports Network will produce a weekly half-hour NWSL highlight show called VERSUS, showcasing plays of the week. As part of the larger NWSL programming effort, the Women’s Sports Network will recontextualize the very best games of prior seasons with new commentary from the players. GAME ON will additionally broadcast live pre-match shows from this year’s NWSL playoffs and championship games. The Women’s Sports Network encourages fans to stay tuned for a sweepstakes for the Championship. “The Women’s Sports Network offers a platform for female athletes to amplify their voice on a women’s only network, elevating their presence across the sports industry to bring innovative change to women’s sports,” said Stuart McLean, CEO of FAST Studios and a pioneer in the FAST channel space. “The ability to provide a dedicated platform for women’s sports, that can be accessed without having to fight for airtime, is a true innovation. This also gives the stories behind these female athletes the proper space for celebration.” GAME ON is the Women’s Sports Network signature breakout daily studio show that is powered by female voices that celebrate women’s sports for the modern fan. From the latest sports news and hottest topic to the most current in sports-adjacent pop culture, GAME ON has its finger on the pulse of the trend’s viewers crave. “As we continue to expand NWSL’s viewership, the Women’s Sports Network’s platform will allow us to more broadly stream the success of our league on a platform dedicated to driving women’s sports forward,” said NWSL Chief Revenue Officer Mitch Poll. “The Women’s Sports Network has seen tremendous growth and attention since launching in 2022 which offers our fans and brand partners the opportunity to dive deeper into the story of our players and reach our audience in a more impactful way.” The Women’s Sports Network original programming for the NWSL builds on successful series for other league partners like the World According to Sage, featuring Hall of Fame surfer Sage Erickson with the World Surf League, Grip It and Rip It with Ladies Professional Golf Association featuring Brittany Lincicome with the LPGA, in addition to the live broadcasts from the Women’s Football Association, Athletes Unlimited, and the NCAA Women of the Year Awards. Fans are encouraged to follow the non-stop action on the Women's Sports Network's social media channels including Twitter , Instagram , and TikTok , and visit www.womenssports.com to learn more about the network. ABOUT WOMEN’S SPORTS NETWORK The Women's Sports Network is a free, ad-supported, 24/7 streaming destination available on Atmosphere, Amazon Freevee, Fubo, LG Channels on LG Smart TVs, Local Now, Plex, Sports.tv, Tubi, VIZIO WatchFree+, Roku and XumoPlay. Launched by FAST Studios in 2022, the Women’s Sports Network aims to promote diversity in the sports and entertainment industries by offering viewers content that examines female athletes both on and off the field. The Women's Sports Network has confirmed participation from several prestigious organizations, including the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), U.S. Ski and Snowboard, and World Surf League (WSL), WNBA and Athletes Unlimited with additional launch partners to come. Founded in 2021 by expert media innovator Stuart McLean CEO, FAST Studios is powered by a team of experienced marketers, programmers, and media leaders. Leading the charge for the Women’s Sports Network with McLean is Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and Women’s Sports Network Board of Advisors Chair, Carol Stiff. In addition to Stiff, the Women’s Sports Network Board of Advisors includes some of the most influential figures in the industry, such as: Stacey Allaster, Chief Executive, Professional Tennis at United States Tennis Association Lindsay Amstutz , Chief Media Officer at OneTeam Partners Allyson Felix , 11-time Olympic medalist Kathleen Francis, national board chair of Women in Sports and Events (WISE) Sophie Goldschmidt , CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard LaChina Robinson, WBNA analyst at ESPN Angela Ruggiero, CEO and Co-Founder of the Sports Innovation Lab Renata Simril, President and CEO of LA84 Julie Uhrman, Founder and President of Angel City Football Club Jayma Meyer, Title IX Attorney The founding league partners include, Athletes Unlimited, WNBA, Ladies Professional Golf Association, Premier Hockey Federation, Quattro Media, Street League Skateboarding, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, United States Golf Association, Women’s Football Alliance, Women’s National Basketball Association and World Surf League. The Women’s Sports Network flips the script of women's sports by amplifying in-season stories and extending every league and athlete in the off-season. Fans are encouraged to follow the non-stop action on Women’s Sports Network’s social media channels including Twitter , Instagram , and TikTok . For further information visit: www.womenssports.com . ABOUT FAST STUDIOS FAST Studios (FAST) is a multi-faceted premium content studio specializing in content creation, marketing, distribution, and monetization of free ad-supported streaming television channels (FAST). Channels include SpartanTV, the world’s leading obstacle race and lifestyle wellness brand, and RACING America, the official media partner of the Race Team Alliance that consists of 16 NASCAR Cup Series teams. FAST Studios simultaneously serves dozens of streaming platforms who need quality content channels to draw loyal audiences, brand marketers who must efficiently reach fragmented audiences at scale, and the growing population of streaming viewers who expect premium content experiences. For further information visit: www.FASTstudios.com. ABOUT NWSL 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. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay Area, 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, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.