How to Watch NWSL Games in 2026: Every Streaming and TV Option

Trinity Rodman is trending again, and while the headlines are about her relationship with tennis star Ben Shelton, the real question a lot of people end up typing is simpler: where do I actually watch her play? Rodman is the face of the Washington Spirit and one of the biggest names in the National Women's Soccer League, and the good news is that the NWSL is one of the easier leagues to follow in the US right now. Here is every legitimate way to watch in 2026, from free over-the-air TV to the cheapest streaming setups.

The fastest answer

NWSL matches in 2026 are split across four national partners, and nearly every game is available somewhere:

• CBS / CBS Sports Network / Paramount+ – the largest share of nationally televised matches, including marquee games and the Championship in some seasons.
• ESPN / ABC / ESPN's streaming service – a weekly slate of national matches.
• Prime Video – a regular Friday-night match window.
• ION – free broadcast TV, typically a Saturday-night doubleheader.
• NWSL+ – the league's own free streaming app for matches that are not picked up by a national partner.

If you only want to pay for one thing, Paramount+ gives you the most NWSL for the money. If you want to pay nothing, ION over an antenna plus the free NWSL+ app covers a surprising amount of the season.

The league's current media deals were signed as a multi-year package running through the 2027 season, so this breakdown should stay accurate for a while. Exact match assignments change every week, though, so always confirm the specific game on the NWSL schedule page or the Washington Spirit's site before kickoff.

Every option, with costs

Prices move often. Treat the figures above as ballpark numbers and check each service's official site before signing up.

Paramount+ and CBS: the biggest slice

CBS Sports carries more NWSL matches than any other single partner. Games land in three places: the CBS broadcast network on select weekends, CBS Sports Network for cable and live-TV subscribers, and Paramount+ for streamers.

• Paramount+ Essential (roughly $8 a month) streams the CBS Sports Network matches and the league's CBS-produced coverage. Historically the Essential plan has not included a live feed of your local CBS station, so double-check whether a specific CBS-broadcast game is included before you rely on it.
• Paramount+ Premium (roughly $13 a month) adds the live local CBS feed, which closes that gap and means you can watch the CBS broadcast matches too.

If you already have cable or a live-TV streaming bundle, CBS Sports Network is included in most standard packages, and your regular CBS station handles the broadcast games. No extra subscription needed.

ESPN and ABC

ESPN carries a weekly national NWSL match, sometimes on ABC, more often on ESPN or ESPN2. Ways in:

• Cable or live-TV streaming (Sling Orange, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, DirecTV Stream) all include ESPN and ESPN2.
• ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service lets you subscribe to the full ESPN networks without cable. The unlimited tier runs around $30 a month; check the ESPN site for the current plan lineup, since the cheaper legacy ESPN+ tier does not include the main linear channels.
• ABC matches are free over the air with an antenna, and ABC is also included in every major live-TV bundle.

Sling Orange is the cheapest way to get ESPN and ESPN2 for a full month if you do not want the ESPN app on its own.

Prime Video: Friday nights

Amazon's Prime Video holds a Friday-night NWSL match window. If you already have Amazon Prime, you are set; the matches appear in the Prime Video app under Live/Sports. You can also subscribe to Prime Video by itself for a lower monthly price than full Prime. These matches are exclusive to Prime Video in the US, so a cable package will not help you here.

ION: the free national option

ION is a broadcast network owned by Scripps, and it is the NWSL's free-TV home. The typical format is a Saturday-night doubleheader, and ION also airs playoff matches in some years. You can watch it two ways:

1. An antenna. ION broadcasts over the air in most US markets. A $20–30 indoor antenna is a one-time purchase, and you also pick up CBS and ABC for those matches too.
2. A live-TV streaming bundle. ION is included in YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream in most markets.

ION does not have a standalone paid streaming app for live sports, so if you want ION without an antenna, a live-TV bundle is the route.

NWSL+: the free app for everything else

Any match not selected by CBS, ESPN, Prime Video or ION streams for free on NWSL+, the league's own platform, for viewers in the US. It is available on the web, iOS, Android and most smart-TV and streaming-box app stores. You need a free account, and the app also hosts full replays, condensed matches and highlights, which is handy if you missed a Rodman goal at work. For a Washington Spirit fan, NWSL+ plus ION realistically covers a healthy chunk of the season at zero cost.

The cheapest complete setup

If you want essentially every NWSL match without paying for a big bundle:

• Antenna (one-time ~$25) for ION, CBS and ABC.
• NWSL+ (free) for non-national matches.
• Paramount+ Essential (~$8/mo) for CBS Sports Network games.
• Prime Video if you already have Prime, otherwise skip Fridays or add it only in months when the Spirit play a Friday match.
• ESPN is the sticking point. Sling Orange for one month (~$46) or ESPN's streaming plan when a must-see ESPN match is on, then cancel.

That comes to roughly $8 a month most of the year, with the option to add ESPN only when you need it. Everything above is month-to-month and cancellable.

Watching Trinity Rodman with the USWNT

Rodman's national-team matches are on a completely different deal. US Soccer's broadcast rights in the US sit with Warner Bros. Discovery, so USWNT friendlies and most competitive matches air on TNT, TBS or truTV and stream on HBO Max. Major tournaments (the World Cup, Olympics) are carried by the tournament rights holders, typically Fox for the World Cup and NBC/Peacock for the Olympics. Check the US Soccer schedule for each match, since the network varies.

Time-sensitive: what to know right now (late summer 2026)

The NWSL regular season runs into the fall, with the playoffs typically in late October and November and the Championship in November. Playoff broadcast assignments are usually announced a week or two out, and in recent seasons CBS has held the Championship with ION and ESPN carrying earlier rounds. Confirm on NWSL.com once the bracket is set. Also note that Rodman has dealt with back injuries in recent seasons, so check the Spirit's injury report if you are subscribing specifically to see her play.

FAQ

Can I watch every Washington Spirit game with just Paramount+? No. Paramount+ covers the CBS side of the schedule, but Prime Video Friday matches, ESPN matches and ION matches are exclusive to those partners. NWSL+ fills in the rest for free.

Is NWSL+ really free in the US? Yes. It requires a free account, and it carries the matches not selected by a national partner, plus replays of every game. Outside the US, NWSL+ operates differently and may require a paid subscription.

Do I need cable for NWSL playoffs? Usually not. The playoffs have been spread across CBS (free with an antenna or Paramount+ Premium), ION (free with an antenna) and ESPN networks. A one-month Sling or ESPN streaming subscription covers the ESPN rounds if needed.