CBS Sports will feature a regular season NWSL match in primetime this October, but it won’t be just any regular season match. Per a release from the NWSL, CBS will air the OL Reign vs Washington Spirit match on Friday, October 6 at 8 p.m. ET. This will be the final regular season match in the career of USWNT star Megan Rapinoe and will also stream on Paramount+.
The match was originally set to begin at 10 p.m. ET and only would have been available on Paramount+.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman and CBS Sports EVP Programming Dan Weinberg both praised Rapinoe in the release.
“Megan’s remarkable impact on the National Women’s Soccer League and the global women’s sports community has been truly inspiring to witness,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “The success she achieved on the pitch throughout her career has been nothing short of extraordinary, but it’s her off-field efforts to make our game an accessible, fair and inclusive space for all that have truly cemented her as a trailblazer. I have no doubt that her legacy as both an athlete and an advocate will continue to drive meaningful change beyond the pitch for years to come, and I wish her nothing but success as she begins this new chapter.”
“Megan Rapinoe is a global icon in the sport of soccer and has been an integral part of the success of the NWSL over its 11-year history,” said Dan Weinberg, EVP Programming, CBS Sports. “We are excited to partner with the NWSL to fittingly honor her with a primetime sendoff on CBS and Paramount+.”
Moving the Friday night match to CBS proper seemed like a pretty easy decision for CBS. October 6 is an off night for the MLB Postseason. Just two college football games, Kansas State vs Oklahoma State on ESPN and Nebraska vs Illinois on FS1, are taking place. The NBA and NHL regular seasons still haven’t started. This decision simply makes sense for CBS and the NWSL.
[NWSL, image via NWSL]
