As the National Women’s Soccer League prepared for a season with 16 teams in 2026, up from 14 the previous year, league executives faced a challenge that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago: fitting all 248 matches (including an eight-team play-off and the Challenge Cup) into their already fragmented media package.With Boston Legacy and Denver Summit joining the league, the NWSL has more matches, more players, more markets and more inventory than ever before.At the same time, fans are increasingly navigating a disjointed media landscape where games are spread across CBS, ESPN, Prime Video, ION and team-specific regional broadcasts, most of which require at least some level of subscription payment.The addition of Victory+ to the league’s media ecosystem was an attempt to address that challenge.The free streaming platform is carrying 57 NWSL matches in 2026, including a dedicated Sunday night package. But, according to the company’s CEO Neil Gruninger, the partnership is about much more than simply airing additional games.“We got to talking about our strategy of being free and ensuring that access is available to all fans, and those barriers of entry through a subscription were removed,” Gruninger said in an interview with The Athletic. “That got (the league) really excited.”One of the biggest criticisms of the NWSL’s record-breaking $240million (£179m), four-year media package has been accessibility. A fan who wants to watch every NWSL game today needs subscriptions to multiple streaming services and broadcasters. While those deals generate revenue for the league, the bill falls on fans to pay. Gruninger believes removing those barriers is central to expanding the league’s audience.NWSL initially signed a record-breaking $240million, four-year media package and later added Victory+ (Jason Mowry / Getty Images)“A quarter of NWSL viewers on the (Victory+) platform have watched six or more matches this season, and the average viewer has tuned in for four games,” he said.“Just as importantly, engagement is translating into loyalty; viewer retention continues to climb month over month, with 85 percent of fans who watched three or more matches in April returning to watch again in May. These aren’t casual viewers passing through; they’re dedicated fans actively building a habit around NWSL content on Victory+.”The company’s philosophy stems from an unexpected place. Before entering sports, Victory+ evolved from a streaming technology company that eventually launched Kidoodle.TV, a child-safe alternative to YouTube and Netflix. Working in children’s media taught the company a lesson that now guides its sports strategy: attention is valuable, but accessibility is everything.“We learned early days in the kids and family space where attention is important,” Gruninger said. “Brands want to be in an ecosystem, and fans want the content.”