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The NWSL's early renewal of its labor deal removes a potential obstacle in scoring another hefty rights increase for its next media deal, commissioner Jessica Berman said during a Bloomberg conference Thursday.

Why it matters: The pro women's soccer league wants to ensure it maintains its growth, and any hint of a labor strife would threaten that momentum.

Zoom in: The NWSL's current TV deal with Amazon, CBS Sports, ESPN and Scripps Sports runs through 2027. The league's collective bargaining agreement was set to expire in 2026.

"We needed to take away every single reason ... for anyone to question if we have the durability and the commercial viability to invest the kind of resources that are necessary," Berman said.

The new CBA, which runs through 2030, radically changes how the league operates. For starters, the NWSL eliminated its college draft, becoming the first North American league to do so.

Berman said that move was necessary to help NWSL compete with other international leagues for players. "It is not different from how the rest of the world operates."

The big picture: The NWSL wanted a shorter deal so it could get back in the market quicker, Berman said.

Other than the UFC, which comes up for renewal next year, most of the major sports rights are locked up well into the next decade. ESPN has an out in its MLB contract after next season, and the NFL is expected to exercise its opt out in 2029.

"We wanted to bet on ourselves," she said.

Zoom out: When the WNBA signed its own $2.2 billion TV deal, some criticized it as an underpay.

One of those that lobbied criticism was the WNBA players union executive director.

The WNBA's new TV deals run for 11 years starting in 2026, which means the league can't get back to the open market until 2037. However, there is an agreement between the league and its media partners to revisit the rights deals with good faith talks after three years.

The league will sign two more rights deals, likely with current partners CBS and Scripps, that are expected to be shorter.

NWSL chief already looking towards next media deal

Early CBA renewal removes a potential obstacle, Jessica Berman says.

Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National women's Soccer League (NWSL), center, and Midge Purce, forward with the NJ/NY Gotham FC women's soccer team, right, during the Bloomberg Power Players New York event in New York, US, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and Midge Purce of NJ/NY Gotham FC during the Bloomberg Power Players New York event Thursday. Photo: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Media deals

The NWSL&#x27;s early renewal of its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="labor deal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/08/22/national-women-soccer-league-utah-royals-cba" data-vars-content-id="d94c56a9-c172-4587-9aa6-57894678ea6d" data-vars-headline="NWSL chief already looking towards next media deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2024/08/22/national-women-soccer-league-utah-royals-cba" target="_self">labor deal</a> removes a potential obstacle in scoring another hefty rights increase for its next media deal, commissioner Jessica Berman said during a Bloomberg conference Thursday.Why it matters: The pro women&#x27;s soccer league wants to ensure it maintains its growth, and any hint of a labor strife would threaten that momentum.

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NWSL chief already looking towards next media deal

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