Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League, speaks during a panel discussion on women’s professional soccer at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on February 10, 2024.
Omar Vega | Getty Images Sports | Getty Images
At 16, Jessica Berman was one of those rare teenagers who knew exactly what she wanted to do in life: run a professional sports league.
Nearly 30 years later, the New York native has not only achieved her dream – becoming commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022 – but she is also helping to pave the way for a new generation of women in sports.
Berman told CNBC the league is at a “crucial and transformative” turning point. “This is a movement for the world to recognize the value of women and the value of investing in women and girls,” she said.
Berman, who was named to CNBC’s inaugural Changemakers list, began her career as an employment lawyer at the Proskauer Rose law firm after interning with the National Hockey League and in college sports. She helped negotiate the end of the 2004–2005 NHL lockout with a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players.
She spent the next 13 years rising in the NHL, holding positions ranging from vice president of community development to assistant league adviser, working with commissioner Gary Bettman.
In 2019, Berman became the first female assistant commissioner of a professional men’s sports league, joining the National Lacrosse League. Less than three years later, she was put in charge of the NWSL and tasked with turning around an organization in crisis.
Conquer the field
Berman took the helm of the women’s soccer league after allegations of emotional abuse and sexual misconduct emerged across multiple teams.
Just months after Berman’s appointment as commissioner, results of a year-long independent investigation led by former U.S. Assistant Attorney General Sally Yates that found systemic abuse in the NWSL were released. The league failed to take basic player safety measures, the report said, and fostered a “culture of abuse, silence and fear of retaliation.”
Berman apologized and committed to making changes to create a safe and positive environment for players, staff and fans and to restore trust in the league.
Throughout 2023, Berman worked to transform the league’s culture and grow its business at a time when women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth.
Berman helped improve players’ contracts with the league’s first collective bargaining agreement, which included improvements in compensation and working conditions. It also brought the first-ever million-dollar prize pool to U.S. women’s soccer.
It purged the league’s personnel, imposed lifetime bans on four former coaches for their roles in the misconduct described in the Yates report, and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns teams $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively U.S. dollar.
She has also attracted big-name investors and sold them her new vision for professional women’s football.
Hollywood A-lister Natalie Portman and all-star athletes Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, Eli Manning, Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd are just a few of the names with equity stakes in NWSL teams.
Sofia Huerta #11 of Seattle Reign competes against Delanie Sheehan #17 of NJ/NY Gotham FC during the second half of the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Championship at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on November 11, 2023.
Ben Nichols | ISI Photos | Getty Images
Today, Berman said, business is booming and the league has never been stronger or more financially sound.
NWSL announced a groundbreaking media rights deal with four major streaming and cable partners in November that is worth $240 million over four years, 40 times the size of the previous deal. The agreement significantly increases the league’s reach and distribution among new target groups.
“This is the beginning of our future,” Berman said at the time. “These partnerships fundamentally change the game of our league and the players who take the field every week.”
On Monday, the NWSL announced an expansion of its partnership with Amazon, and named the company the exclusive retail sponsor. Under the agreement, the e-commerce giant and streamer will open an NWSL merchandise store and the league will migrate its digital archives of historical footage and behind-the-scenes interviews to Amazon Web Services cloud storage.
Amazon Prime will stream 27 games this season, which begins Friday.
And the fans were packed in the stands: The league announced a record attendance for the 2023 season: More than 1.49 million fans attended an NWSL game, a 32% increase from last year.
Under Berman, the league has grown from 12 to 14 teams, with two more teams scheduled to enter the field in 2026.
Just a few years ago, NWSL teams had an average value of about $2 million; According to Sportico, the average team today is worth $66 million. At the top is Los Angeles-based Angel City FC, which is currently worth $180 million, making it one of the most valuable women’s teams in the world, Sportico said.
The basics
Berman said what makes her most proud is the validation she has received from the people who have been working to change the narrative about women’s sports for decades.
“Seeing how current and recently departed players have truly embraced what we are building – these are the people who carry the authenticity of this game – has really boosted my energy and enthusiasm for what we are building in the future fired up,” Berman said.
Berman also credits the “army of people” who have helped expand the league’s influence.
“I feel great female empowerment every day being surrounded by such incredible leaders and athletes who have worked tirelessly to get to this point,” she said.
She is also particularly proud of giving her two little boys a front row seat to history.
“They’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices throughout my career,” said Berman, who travels frequently for work. Berman said her boys became personally involved in the league after taking a close look at their mother’s work – both the successes and the challenges.
“It makes the whole thing feel a lot more meaningful because I can actually see how what I do every day for work has a positive impact on their lives,” she said.
Berman attributes her success to hard work, ambition and her “authentic self.” She said growing up, her mother, a psychologist, instilled in her a self-confidence that was crucial to her career.
And despite the demands that come with running a professional sports league, Berman says she makes sure to take care of herself — whether that’s spending time with her loved ones or her three dogs, or through exercise like running or yoga — which is what she does best In my opinion, makes Commissioner a better person.
“It gives me the energy to commit to everything else I do in my life,” Berman said.
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2024-03-11 19:29:30
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