Jessica Berman, commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League, speaks during a panel discussion on women's professional soccer at the Anatole Hilton in Dallas on February 10, 2024.
Omar Vega | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
At 16 years old, Jessica Berman was one of those rare teens who knew exactly what she wanted to do in life: lead a professional sports league.
Nearly 30 years later, the New York City native has not only achieved her dream of becoming the commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League in 2022, but she is helping pave the way for a new generation of women in sports.
Berman told CNBC that the league is at a “pivotal and transformative” inflection point. “This is a movement in which 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 NHL and college sports. She helped negotiate the end of the 2004-2005 NHL lockout through a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players.
She spent the next 13 years rising through the NHL ranks, holding positions ranging from vice president of community development to vice chancellor of the league, working alongside commissioner Gary Bettman.
In 2019, Berman became the first female deputy commissioner of a men's professional sports league, joining the National Lacrosse League. Less than three years later, she was appointed to run the NWSL and tasked with turning around an organization in crisis.
Taking the field
Berman took over the Women's Football League after allegations of emotional abuse and sexual misconduct across several teams.
Just months after Berman was appointed commissioner, the results of a year-long independent investigation, led by former Deputy U.S. Attorney Sally Yates, were made public, which found systemic abuses at the NWSL. The report said the league failed to put in place basic procedures for player safety, and fostered a “culture of abuse, silence, and fear of retaliation.”
Berman issued an apology and committed to making changes to create a safe and positive environment for players, staff and fans and rebuild trust in the league.
Over the course of 2023, Berman has worked to transform the league's culture and expand its business at a time when women's sports are experiencing unprecedented growth.
Berman helped improve player contracts through the league's first-ever collective bargaining agreement, which included advances in compensation and working conditions. It also brought the first ever $1 million prize money for women's soccer in the United States.
It has cleaned up the league's staff, issued lifetime bans to four former coaches for their roles in misconduct detailed in the Yates report and fined the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns $1.5 million and $1 million, respectively.
It also attracted big-name investors, selling them on its new vision of professional women's football.
Hollywood star Natalie Portman and star athletes Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Patrick Mahomes, Eli Manning, Kevin Durant and Carli Lloyd are just some of the names who own stakes in NFL teams.
Sofia Huerta No. 11 of the Seattle Reign faces No. 17 Delaney Sheehan of New Jersey/New York Gotham FC during the second half of the 2023 National Women's Soccer League championship at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, November 11, 2023.
Ben Nichols | Pakistani intelligence photos Getty Images
Today, business is booming and the league has never been stronger or more financially robust, Berman said.
The NWSL in November announced a landmark 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 agreement 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 fundamentally change the game for the league and the players who take the field every week.”
The NWSL announced Monday the expansion of its partnership with Amazon, naming the company as the exclusive retail sponsor. As part of the deal, the e-commerce and streaming giant will feature an NWSL merchandise store, and the league will migrate its digital archives of historical behind-the-scenes footage and interviews to Amazon Web Services cloud storage.
Amazon Prime will stream 27 games this season, which begins Friday.
Fans packed the stands: The league announced record attendance for the 2023 season, with more than 1.49 million fans attending an NFL game, an increase of 32% from the previous year.
Under Berman's leadership, the league has expanded to 14 teams from 12, with two additional teams scheduled to take the field in 2026.
Just a few years ago, NFL teams were worth about $2 million on average; Today, the average team value is $66 million, according to Sportico. Topping the list is Angel City FC, which is now 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 people who have worked for decades to change the narrative around women's sports.
“Seeing how current and recently retired players have embraced what we're building — these are the people who carry the authenticity of this game — has fueled my energy and excitement about what we're building in the future,” Berman said.
Berman also acknowledges the “army of people” who have helped expand the league's influence.
“There is so much female empowerment I feel daily when I am surrounded by such amazing leaders and athletes who have worked tirelessly to get to this point,” she said.
She's also especially proud to give her two young children a front-row seat to history.
“They've had to make a lot of sacrifices throughout my career,” said Berman, who travels frequently as part of her job. Berman said her boys became personally invested in the league after getting an up-close look at their mother's work — both the successes and the challenges.
“It makes the whole thing seem more important because I can actually see the benefit of what I do on a daily basis to work that impacts them positively in their lives,” she said.
Berman attributes her success to hard work, ambition, and being her “authentic self.” She said that while growing up, her psychiatrist mother instilled in her a sense of self-awareness that was essential to her career.
Despite the demands of leading a professional sports league, Berman said she makes sure to prioritize taking care of herself — whether by spending time with her loved ones or her three dogs, or through exercise like running or yoga — which she said makes her better. authorized.
“It gives me energy to give to everything else I do in my life,” Berman said.
