Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League, speaks during a panel on women’s professional soccer at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on February 10, 2024.
Omar Vega | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
At 16, Jessica Berman was one of those rare teenagers who knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life: manage a professional sports league.
Nearly 30 years later, the New York native has not only achieved her dream — to become commissioner of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022 — but is helping to pave the way for a new generation of women in sports.
Berman told CNBC that the league is at a “pivotal and transformative” turning point. “This is a movement where the world recognizes 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 a labor and employment attorney at the law firm Proskauer Rose after interning in the National Hockey League and college sports. He helped negotiate the end of the 2004-2005 NHL lockout with a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players.
He spent the next 13 years rising through the NHL ranks, holding positions ranging from vice president of community development to associate general counsel for the league, working alongside 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 tapped to run the NWSL and tasked with turning around an organization in crisis.
Taking the field
Berman took the helm at the women’s soccer league after allegations of emotional and sexual abuse at several teams.
A few months after Berman was named commissioner, a year’s worth of findings were released independent research, led by former US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who found systemic abuse in the NWSL. The league failed to implement basic player safety measures, the report said, and had fostered a “culture of abuse, silence and fear of retaliation.”
Berman apologized and pledged to make changes to create a safe and positive environment for players, staff and fans and to rebuild trust in the league.
During 2023, Berman worked to transform the league’s culture and supersize its operations at a time of unprecedented growth in women’s sports.
Berman helped improve player contracts with the league first collective labor agreement, which included advances on compensation and working conditions. He also brought it million dollar first prize in US women’s soccer.
Clear the league staff, issuing lifetime bans to four former coaches for their roles in the misconduct described in the Yates report and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively.
She has also lured big-name investors, selling them on her new vision for professional women’s soccer.
Hollywood A-lister Natalie Portman and all-star athletes Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, Eli Manning, Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd are just some of the names with stakes in NWSL teams.
Sofia Huerta #11 of Seattle Reign tackles Delanie Sheehan #17 of NJ/NY Gotham FC during the second half of the 2023 Women’s Soccer League National Championship at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, November 11, 2023.
Ben Nicholls | ISI Photos | Getty Images
Today, Berman said, business is booming and the league has never been stronger or healthier financially.
The NWSL announced in November a major media rights deal with four major streaming and cable partners worth $240 million over four years, or 40 times the size of the previous deal. The deal significantly increases the league’s reach and distribution to new audiences.
“This is the beginning of our future,” Berman said at the time. “These partnerships are game-changers for our league and the players who take the field each week.”
On Monday, the NWSL announced the extension of its partnership with Amazon, naming the company as its exclusive retail sponsor. As part of this deal, the e-commerce giant and streamer will have an NWSL merchandise store, and the league will transfer its digital archives of historic behind-the-scenes footage and interviews to Amazon Web Services cloud storage.
Amazon Prime will air 27 games this season, which begins Friday.
And fans have packed the stands: The league announced record attendance for the 2023 season, with more than 1.49 million fans attending an NWSL game, a 32 percent increase from the previous year.
Under Berman, the league expanded to 14 teams from 12, with two additional groups it is scheduled to hit the ground running in 2026.
Just a few years ago, NWSL teams were valued at around $2 million on average. today, the average team is worth $66 million, according to Sportico. Leading the pack is Angel City FC of Los Angeles, which is now worth $180 million, making it one of the most valuable women’s teams in the world, Sportico said.
The fundamentals
Berman said what makes her most proud is the validation she’s received from people who have been working for decades to change the narrative about women’s sports.
“Seeing how current and recently retired players have really embraced what we’re building — these are the people who bring the authenticity of this game — really fueled my energy and excitement for what we’re building going forward,” Berman said.
Berman also credits the “army of people” who helped scale the league’s impact.
“There is a lot of female empowerment that I feel on a daily basis being surrounded by so many incredible leaders and athletes who have worked tirelessly to get to this point,” she said.
She is also especially proud to have given her two young boys a front row seat to history.
“They had to make a lot of sacrifices along the way in my career,” said Berman, who travels frequently as part of her job. Berman said her boys are personally invested in the league after seeing their mom’s work firsthand – both the successes and the challenges.
“It makes the whole thing feel so much more meaningful because I can really see the benefit of what I do on a daily basis for the work that positively impacts their lives,” she said.
Berman credits her success to hard work, ambition and being her “authentic self.” Growing up, she said, her psychologist mother instilled in her a sense of self-awareness that was key to her career.
And despite the demands of leading a professional sports league, Berman said she makes sure to prioritize self-care — whether with loved ones or her three dogs, or through exercise like running or yoga — which as she said it makes her better. commissioner.
“It gives me the energy to contribute to everything else I do in my life,” Berman said.