NWSL Challenge Cup 2025: TV channel, live stream for Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit
The NWSL Challenge Cup is back for 2025, with the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit meeting in a rematch of last year's hard-fought championship final.
Orlando enjoyed one of the great seasons in league history last year, losing just twice in 26 regular-season games. Iconic playmaker Marta, at age 38, had arguably the best season of her NWSL career, while striker Barbra Banda – "the best striker in the world,"according to U.S. women's national team coach Emma Hayes – proved unstoppable up top. At the back, head coach Seb Hines can now call on Spain's Oihane Hernández, a 2023 World Cup winner, to bolster what was already arguably the best defensive unit in the league.
The Spirit have looked to build on a 2024 season that points towards Washington becoming a consistent power in the coming seasons. Trinity Rodman, after missing multiple USWNT call-ups while recuperating from a nagging back injury, is expected to play some part at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Washington fans are also eager to see how new signings like Japan national team midfielder Narumi Miura and Mexico captain Rebeca Bernal fit into a strong roster.
Here's what to know about the NWSL Challenge Cup, including how to watch what is expected to be an exciting game between two title contenders:
NWSL: What is the Challenge Cup? Format details explained
The NWSL Challenge Cup has existed under several guises over the years. The event was initially a Covid-19 bubble tournament in 2020, something the league invented on the fly to provide some kind of competition while sports had largely stopped taking place nationwide.
In 2021 and 2022, the event transitioned to a round-robin, regional format with play taking place before the regular season. Ultimately, teams and fans regarded that version of the Challenge Cup as something between preseason experimentation and a noteworthy trophy to pursue, leaving few satisfied. A 2023 change saw the Challenge Cup peppered in throughout the regular season, but that too failed to catch fire.
Starting in 2024, a stripped-down Challenge Cup took its place one week before the regular season, serving as a curtain-raiser akin to the Community Shield in English soccer. The NWSL champions host the winners of the NWSL Shield (a trophy given to the regular-season champion, reflecting global norms in a sport that features few leagues with playoffs). The 2024 Challenge Cup saw the San Diego Wave defeat NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-0 on a late Alex Morgan goal.
The NWSL has kept that format for 2025, but that reveals a new issue: the Orlando Pride won the 2024 championship as well as the NWSL Shield. The league took the straightforward option, picking the Washington Spirit — who finished as runners-up in both the playoffs and regular season — as Orlando's opponent.
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit: How to stream NWSL Challenge Cup
Friday's NWSL Challenge Cup, which will feature two star-studded teams in the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit, is airing exclusively on Prime Video. Coverage from Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, begins at 8 p.m. ET.
Watch Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit on Prime Video
NWSL Challenge Cup 2025: How to watch Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit
- Date: Friday, March 7
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: None
- Stream: Prime Video
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