Viewership of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup absolutely soared this summer, bolstering the growing popularity of professional women’s athletics—and soccer, specifically. Audience numbers for the U.S. women’s national team’s games rose this year over their games at the last World Cup four years ago.
According to FOX, which owns the U.S. English-language broadcasting rights, the USWNT 3-0 opening game win over Vietnam on July 21 averaged 5.26 million viewers, a 99% increase over the 2019 opener. Helping broadcast the excitement from Australia and New Zealand to audiences back home were Aly Wagner ’02, Danielle Slaton ’02, and Leslie Osborne ’05.
The trio served as commentators, digital hosts, and analysts for FOX Sports before returning to the U.S. to finish building their new NWSL team, Bay FC, which debuts next year.
