Gotham FC’s NWSL Championship Win the Most-Watched Match in League History

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Nov. 25, 2025) - Gotham FC’s second NWSL Championship win in three years was the most-watched match in league history, drawing 1.184 million viewers and becoming the first NWSL game to surpass 1 million viewers.

The 2025 figure marks a 22% increase over the 2024 title match, which previously held the viewership record, and a 45% jump from the 2023 contest. Viewership among adults ages 18 to 34 rose 70% year over year, underscoring the league’s continued momentum with younger audiences.

The record-setting broadcast came as Gotham secured its second major trophy this year, earning a 1-0 victory over rival Washington on Saturday at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Gotham entered the postseason as the No. 8 seed and went on to complete one of the most improbable title runs in league history. The club is now the lowest seed ever to claim the NWSL Championship, adding to its earlier 2023 title secured as a No. 6 seed, the lowest under the former playoff format.

The final remained tightly contested through the first half, with both sides generating opportunities but unable to break through before the interval – only the third time an NWSL Championship has been scoreless at halftime. Gotham finally found its moment in the 80th minute, when Bruninha delivered a driven ball across the area to Rose Lavelle, who slotted home the decisive goal. Gotham’s back line and midfield controlled the tempo throughout the night, holding Washington without a shot on target for the entire match.

It was the perfect ending to Gotham’s dramatic postseason run, which included the latest game-winning goal in NWSL playoff history vs. Kansas City; the latest game-winner in regulation at Orlando; and the latest game-winner in an NWSL Championship.

The championship capped a watershed year for women’s sports, which continue to attract unprecedented audiences nationwide. Gotham celebrated its latest trophy on Monday with a New York City Hall procession and ceremony, receiving keys to the city.