Women's Professional Soccer on television

Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion. The WPS was the highest level in the United States soccer pyramid for the women's game.

On January 30, 2012, the league announced suspension of the 2012 season, citing several internal organization struggles as the primary cause. Some of these issues included an ongoing legal battle with magicJack owner Dan Borislow and the lack of resources invested into the league. On May 18, 2012 WPS announced the league folded and would not return in 2013. After the WPS folded, the National Women's Soccer League formed in 2013 and took WPS's place as the top professional women's soccer league.[1]

Television coverage

Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español[2] with Samuel Jacobo and Jorge Caamaño aired weekly Sunday night matches and the WPS All-Star Game. Fox Sports Net aired the semifinal and league championship[3] contests. The national television contract was in effect through the 2011 season with an option for 2012.[4] Some local networks[5] aired games.

Fox Soccer Channel
See also: Soccer on Fox Sports and List_of_Fox_Sports_announcers § Fox_Soccer

On March 18, 2009, Fox Soccer Channel announced that Mark Rogondino[6][7] would handling play-by-play responsibilities and Jenn Hildreth[8] providing color commentary for their 20-match[9] 2009 regular season[10] package on Sunday[11] evenings beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The inaugural telecast on March 29, 2009 featured the Los Angeles Sol hosting the Washington Freedom[12] at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. WPS All-Star Game[13][14][15] and playoff coverage[16] meanwhile, would be split between Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports Net's owned and affiliated regional sports networks[17][18].

The final weeks of the 2009 WPS season produced over 100,000 viewers[19] for Fox Soccer Channel's showcase games. In total, the WPS average a 0.1 rating[20] for the 2009 season on Fox Soccer Channel, which was the same average that Major League Soccer had on that network. This translated 32,000 households on Fox Soccer Channel and 100,000 households for Fox Sports Net[21].

The 2010 WPS Playoffs followed the same format[22] used during the 2009 season with the No. 3 seed hosting the No. in the WPS First Round featured nationally on Fox Sports Net. The No. 2 seed would host the winner of the WPS First Round in the WPS Super Semifinal on Fox Soccer Channel[23]. As the No. 1 seed, the winner of the regular season would play host to the winner of the Super Semifinal[24][25] in the 2010 WPS Championship[26], broadcast nationally on Fox Sports Net.

In 2011, Fox Soccer Channel added Allen Hopkins[27] to their commentator roster. Hopkins would eventually handle play-by-play duties for that year's WPS Final[28] alongside Jenn Hildreth. Fox Soccer Channel also enlisted the play-by-play services of Dean Linke[29][30][31].

Comcast SportsNet

On June 11, 2010, Women's Professional Soccer and Comcast Sports Group Networks announced an agreement for the latter to air up to 27 WPS games[32] (either live[33] or on tape delay[34]) in regional markets throughout the summer of 2010. Regional Comcast networks were available in each of the seven WPS markets: Comcast SportsNet New England for the Boston Breakers[35][36]; Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia[37][38]/The Comcast Network[39] for both the Philadelphia Independence and Sky Blue FC[40]; Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic for the Washington Freedom; CSS[41] for the Atlanta Beat; Comcast SportsNet Chicago for the Chicago Red Stars; and Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for the FC Gold Pride.

WPS Championship broadcasters
Year Network Play-by-play Color commentator(s) Touchline reporter
2011 Fox Sports Net Allen Hopkins Jenn Hildreth Karina LeBlanc
2010 Fox Sports Net Mark Rogondino Jenn Hildreth Leslie Osborne
2009 Fox Sports Net Mark Rogondino Jenn Hildreth
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See also

References
  1. "Women's pro soccer league to debut in U.S. next year". usatoday.com. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  2. "WPS players called in for USWNT match against Mexico". WOMEN'S SOCCER UNITED. March 10, 2010.
  3. 2011 WPS Championship Game: Western New York Flash vs. Philadelphia Independence on YouTube
  4. "Fox Soccer Channel Nets WPS Pact: Multiyear Partnership Provides For Live Women's Game Of Week; Comcast Could Provide Regional Carriage". Multichannel News. August 6, 2008.
  5. Mann, Christa (June 11, 2009). "More WPS games to be broadcast". SBI.
  6. "Naeher Named One of the Top Goalkeeper Prospects for 2010 WPS Draft". Penn State Nittany Lions. December 16, 2009.
  7. "Fox Soccer Channel Announces On-Air Talent for WPS Sunday on FSC Telecasts Beginning March 29". Business Wire, Inc. March 18, 2009.
  8. Lauletta, Dan (March 29, 2019). "10 years after debut, WPS still has a complex legacy". The Equalizer.
  9. Mickle, Tripp (October 6, 2008). "Fox Soccer Channel to show women's league". Sports Business Daily.
  10. Grybos, Sean. "Stadium Of Their Own For Atlanta Beat". Goal.com.
  11. "WPS Sunday on FSC". Fox Sports. September 10, 2009.
  12. Stouffer, Craig (March 28, 2009). "Freedom raises curtain for WPS". Washington Examiner.
  13. 2010 WPS All Star Game: Abby XI vs. Marta XI on YouTube
  14. "Former Titan Bardsley Named WPS All-Star Starter". CAL STATE FULLERTON DEPARTMENT OF INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS. June 17, 2010.
  15. "WPS ALL-STAR GAME SET FOR JUNE 30TH". US SOCCER PLAYERS. March 22, 2010.
  16. "WPS partners with Fox Soccer Channel, Announces General Draft Results". OurSports Central. October 6, 2008.
  17. Reynolds, Mike (October 6, 2008). "Fox Soccer Channel Nets WPS Pact". Multichannel News.
  18. Allison, Rachel. Kicking Center: Gender and the Selling of Women's Professional Soccer.
  19. Kassouf, Jeff (December 30, 2009). "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: WPS in 2009". The Equalizer.
  20. Krishnaiyer, Kartik (June 9, 2009). "WPS and EPL Big Winners for FOX in Ratings Game". World Soccer Talk.
  21. Fetchko, Roy, Clow, Michael J., Donald P., Kenneth E. Sports Marketing.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. "WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER RELEASES 2010 WPS SEASON SCHEDULE". US Youth Soccer. February 17, 2010.
  23. "WPS Unveils 2010 Schedule Highlighted By Fox Soccer Channel' WPS Sunday". Bleacher Report. February 18, 2010.
  24. WPS Super Semifinals: Philadelphia Independence vs. magicJack on YouTube
  25. Tannenwald, Jonathan (August 17, 2011). "Independence sweep top WPS awards". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  26. 2010 WPS Championship Game: FC Gold Pride vs. Philadelphia Independence on YouTube
  27. McCarthy, Kyle. "ESPN Reporter Allen Hopkins Set To Join Fox Soccer Channel". Goal.com.
  28. 2011 WPS Championship Game: Western New York Flash vs. Philadelphia Independence on YouTube
  29. [2011-08-20] WPS (Super Semifinal) // Philadelphia Independence 2-0 magicJack on YouTube
  30. Bell, Jack (July 28, 2016). "IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA AND BEHIND THE MIC WITH DEAN LINKE". NASL.
  31. "WPS to Host 2012 Draft in Kansas City". OurSports Central. December 21, 2011.
  32. Albanese Jr., Giovanni (June 11, 2010). "WPS And Comcast Sports Group Networks Team Up". Goal.com.
  33. "Independence to play for WPS title on Saturday". Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. August 26, 2011.
  34. Andrews, Phil (June 12, 2010). "Women's Professional Soccer Partners With Cable TV Giant". Bleacher Report.
  35. "2009 Boston Breakers Media Guide" (PDF). Fun While It Lasted.
  36. "WPS MIDWEEK MATCH 29/07/09". WOMEN'S SOCCER INSIDER. July 29, 2009.
  37. Saul, Denise J. (September 24, 2010). "WOMEN'S PRO SOCCER SUPER-SEMIFINAL: PHILLY 'BREAKS' THRU". Women's Sports & Entertainment Network.
  38. "Sky Blue FC And Independence Team Up With Comcast". Box Score News. July 22, 2010.
  39. Tannenwald, Jonathan (September 23, 2010). "Controversial goal sends Independence to WPS championship". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  40. "CROOKS TO SERVE AS COMCAST SPORTSNET COLOR ANALYST SATURDAY". Rutgers University Athletics. July 21, 2010.
  41. "JENN HILDRETH". Fox Sports PressPass.
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