Inside ESPN Social’s NWSL approach as 2026 season debuts
The Boston Legacy FC's league debut Saturday against defending champion Gotham FC is historic. Here's a preview of ways ESPN Social Media will capture the match
It’s opening week for the 2026 NWSL season, and the ESPN Social team is ready to bring fans closer to the action. The season begins Saturday as the Boston Legacy FC makes its league debut against defending champion Gotham FC (12:30 p.m. ET, ABC, Disney+, ESPN App).
As ESPN nearly doubles its regular season match coverage in 2026, we spoke with Lauren Giudice (Social Media Director) and Tiffany Rowse (Sr. Social Media Specialist) about their fan engagement plans.
What’s in store opening weekend?
Rowse: One of our goals will be to bring fans closer to their favorite athletes and teams through highlights and storytelling. Creating social-first content, tapping into creators like our new collaborator Sportsish and having on-site coverage will extend social users’ experience beyond traditional highlights and interviews. We’ll have a social producer at Boston Legacy FC’s debut to capture the buzz on the ground this weekend, giving audiences a front-row seat to the excitement and to some of the league’s biggest stars.
(Photo courtesy of Lauren Giudice)
What NWSL content resonates with fans?
Giudice: The biggest stars and compelling storylines typically drive the highest social engagement. Our most engaging post of last season was an Instagram Reel of Marta dribbling down the field. That reel celebrated her accomplishments and shared an outstanding highlight in a social-first format. Off-field moments also resonate, like NWSL players supporting WNBA players during CBA talks and Angel City’s tifo raised in solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities.
The NWSL is a foundational league for the new ESPN Women’s Sports Sundays. How is your team approaching this?
Giudice: We are excited to expand on our relationships with the NWSL and WNBA through this opportunity, embracing fandom crossover with creator-led content, mic’d up moments and cross-sport content as we help amplify this new “Women’s Sports Sundays” initiative across our social channels.
