The National Women’s Soccer League might not be as well known to American sports enthusiasts as the National Football League and Major League Baseball, but they are all soon about to become neighbors in Midtown Manhattan.
The women’s league, which has been around for 12 years, will join the two more established league headquarters in Midtown, north of 42nd Str., having signed a lease at the Feil Organization’s landmarked 551 Fifth Ave., which is known as the Fred D. French Building, reports the New York Post.
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Double The Square Footage Of Their Previous HQ
The NWSL’s current headquarters are at 292 Madison Ave. Its new home will double the former square footage to 21,000 square feet, renting for $58 per square foot. Lauren Lopez, the NWSL’s chief people and culture officer, told the Post that the expansion “reflects the tremendous growth of the league.”
- Teams In The NWSL See A 57% Increase In Valuation
According to Sportico, the average NWSL team’s valuation rose by 57% to $104 million. The league was boosted by the debut of two Californiam teams in 2022: Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave. Each enjoyed celebrity backing and high-velocity branding, increasing revenue and ticket sales, according to Sportico. TV ratings and salaries also increased in the league as a result. Angel City, majority owned by Disney CEO Bob Iger, led all teams with a valuation of $250 million.
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A Spate Of Club Sales To Investors
Increased club valuations have seen a spate of sales. San Diego Wave was sold after being valued at $120 million to the Levine Leichtman family, Sportspro reports. The Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign were also sold after being valued at $63 million and $58 million, respectively. Until recently, Milwaukee Bucks' owner, billionaire Marc Lasry, was interested in buying the $108 million valued North Carolina Courage. However, he has cooled his interest, according to the New York Times.
The next expansion club in the NWSL will be Boston Legacy FC, with a consortium of female owners paying a $53 million expansion fee to join the league in 2026. The team hopes to play its home games at the revitalized White Stadium in Boston, which was originally built in 1947. However, that plan has run into some issues, the New York Times reported.
Rising Salaries
Salaries have often been a hot topic of discussion in women’s soccer, with the U.S. women’s national team settling an equal pay dispute in 2022 that saw them achieve pay parity with the men’s team. The salary cap for NWSL players for the 2025 season is $3.3 million. The minimum salary will rise from $48,500 in 2025 to $82,500 by 2030, the NWSL said in a statement announcing the collective bargaining agreement with the NWSL Players Association that detailed the new pay structure.
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“Given our vision to be the best league in the world, we determined that this was the right time to align with global standards and achieve long-term labor peace. This CBA gives us agency over our business and gives the players agency over their careers,” NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said. “Our new agreement revolutionizes the game, raises standards, and innovates the business.
Competition From Europe
The increase in teams, salaries, and larger headquarters has come as women’s European soccer leagues have threatened to eclipse the U.S. league.
U.S. women’s national team player Naomi Girma recently became the most expensive female soccer player in the world after she was transferred from San Diego Wave to London’s Chelsea, who play in England’s Women’s Super League, for around $1.2 million earlier this year.
Chelsea recently sold for $200 million, a record for a women's team. The 2023 Women’s World Cup final was between Spain and England after a disappointing tournament from the U.S. national team, which had previously dominated the world game for over two decades.
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