The NWSL opened its Challenge Cup with record television viewership, and it ended it with even more.
The Houston Dash's 2-0 victory over the Chicago Red Stars on CBS on Sunday averaged 653,000 viewers, significantly bettering the previous record set for the opener between the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage, which averaged 572,000.
The matches were the only two broadcast on over-the-air CBS, with the rest of the tournament aired on the network's streaming service, All Access. The Challenge Cup was the start of the three-year media rights deal between the league and CBS, which had to adjust for 2020 after the league's regular-season plans were altered by the pandemic.