On March 30, 2025, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service (www.max.com), will remove all live sports programming from its least expensive plan, “Basic With Ads”. Among the sporting events affected are international soccer friendlies involving the United States Women’s and Men’s National Teams.
Thus, for those in the USA who wish to stream friendly matches featuring the USWNT and/or USMNT, the options will be to either (1) switch to one of the more expensive Max plans or (2) watch the matches via NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service (www.peacocktv.com). One issue with the second option is that NBCUniversal has the Spanish-language rights, so those who prefer to watch the matches with English-language coverage would be best served by upgrading to Max’s “Standard” or “Premium” plans.
(Note: All monthly and annual fees quoted are subject to change and do not include taxes and added fees that may be applicable.)
Viewers who are paid subscribers to Max’s “Basic with Ads” plan and move up to its middle “Standard” tier would need to pay an additional $7.00 per month to watch USWNT matches. Those who have free subscriptions to Max (e.g., through a DashPass membership or a Cricket Wireless Unlimited plan) would need to pay the full price for the “Standard” tier, which is currently $16.99 per month. For those in the latter situation, a Peacock subscription, which starts at only $7.99 per month, will likely be the more cost-effective option.
The rest of this article is primarily a help guide that is focused on those who are primarily interested in watching USWNT matches.
QUICK LINKS
- Streaming Options and Alternatives
- USA Media rights for friendlies and other USWNT matches
- Background: This was not an out-of-the-blue decision
- The press release and subscriber email
Streaming Options and Alternatives
For subscribers of the Max “Basic With Ads” plans who do not otherwise have access to USWNT/USMNT friendlies through a traditional TV service provider (e.g. cable, satellite, fiber) or a streaming TV service provider (e.g., YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV), their primary options would be to either switch to Max’s “Standard” plan or to use the Peacock streaming service.
Overview: Common Situations and Options
1. I am currently paying for the monthly Max “Basic With Ads” plan and regularly watch TV shows and movies via Max. The simplest option would be to upgrade to the “Standard” plan. Also, consider moving to an annual plan, which would save about $34 per year.
2. Hi. It’s me, #1, again. could I save money by switching from the “Basic With Ads” to the “Standard” plan ahead of a USWNT friendly and then downgrading afterwards? Maybe. It depends on when your monthly cycle rolls over and how Max processes plan upgrades. If upgrades only go into effect at the start of a new cycle, then one would need to plan ahead by keeping a calendar of USWNT friendlies and their Max billing schedule.
3. I am currently a free subscriber to the monthly Max “Basic With Ads” plan. The cheapest option would be to subscribe to Peacock, which costs $7.99 per month for its “Premium” plan, compared to $16.99 per month for the Max’s “Standard” plan. However, NBCUniversal’s commentary and coverage is only in Spanish due to media rights restrictions. Some viewers, such as those who have Instacart+ memberships (details), may be able to subscribe to Peacock for ‘free’. Compared to the #2 example, only paying for Peacock during the monthly periods when there are USWNT friendlies would be easier and subject to less complications.
4. I have a Max “Basic With Ads” plan but only watch USWNT friendlies and the occasional movie or TV show via Max. In this scenario, the most cost-effective option would be to cancel your Max subscription and subscribe to Peacock only when there are USWNT friendlies during the monthly term. Alternatively, if there is an exclusive TV series or movie on Max that you really want to watch, then the optimal solution would be to subscribe to a Max “Standard” plan for a monthly term once or twice a year when there are USWNT friendlies and watch the remaining USWNT friendlies via Peacock.
5. I currently do not subscribe to either Max or Peacock. As with the previous two examples, the lowest cost option would be a Peacock “Premium” subscription.
6. Hey there, I just found out that I can subscribe to Max’s “Standard” plan or Peacock’s “Premium” plan for a low promotional price. If the annual cost is equal to or lower than the cost of subscribing to the same plans for six or seven months, then the promotional deal would probably be worthwhile. (Math: In 2025, the USWNT has six windows for friendlies, so one would need to subscribe to about six monthly terms in order to watch all the friendlies live. Also, not having to subscribe and cancel a few times a year saves time and reduces mental work.)
7. Help! I currently have multiple streaming subscriptions and bundles. What is the best combination for watching soccer? The optimal combination will vary greatly from person to person or from family to family, depending on the prices they are currently paying as well as not only their team and league preferences but also their other media consumption habits. So, an in-depth discussion is well beyond the scope of this article.
8. I have a traditional TV service provider but need to watch a USWNT or USMNT friendly outside my home. Many services, such as Spectrum, Comcast, and DirectTV, have apps and websites that can be used to watch live TV channels and on demand offerings. Depending on the specific service provider, some channels may not be available through outside networks, such as when watching using a smartphone. Also, for those who have Telemundo and Universo in their service provider’s package, another option is watch the Universo streams using the NBC Sports app or the NBC.com website.
International Windows for USWNT Friendlies: 2025 to 2029
At the present time, the only USWNT matches that Max and Peacock stream are friendlies. So, for those trying to determine when to subscribe to and then cancel either service, the only relevant match dates to consider are those that have USWNT friendly matches.
Every few years, FIFA publishes a “Women’s International Match Calendar” that sets out the blocks of days when women’s senior international friendlies and official competitions can be held during the next few upcoming years.
The current women’s match calendar (PDF) expires at the end of 2025. The next women’s calendar was approved in 2024 and covers the years 2026 to 2029 (PDF). Please note that match calendars are subject to amendment by FIFA and that Concacaf could move or modify its official competitions, so the number of windows for years beyond 2025 could change.
The present year of 2025 has six friendly windows, which is more than any of the next four years.
In 2026, the USWNT will have only four friendly windows, as Concacaf’s simplified qualifying for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be contested over three match days during the 2026 November-December window.
The year 2027 should have five friendly windows for the USWNT, which is the most of the new cycle. There is a small chance that this could be reduced to four if the USA has a near-disastrous performance in Concacaf qualifying and has to play the second round of the inter-confederation playoffs in February 2027.
In 2028, the USWNT will apparently have just two friendly windows as Concacaf will be introducing a Women’s Nations League competition that will be contested over three international windows that year (Concacaf press release).
The following year, 2029, will have a minimum of four windows for USWNT friendlies. There could be a fifth as a “Type II window” (February 20 to March 3) overlaps the second half of the “Blocked Period” (January 22 to March 4) for the 2029 Concacaf W Gold Cup. Depending on how early that tournament begins, the USWNT could be able to schedule friendlies, most likely as part of a “Camp Cupcake” of younger players and those not selected for the W Gold Cup roster for whatever reason. Also, 2029 has a “Type II” window in April, which would allow a traditional SheBelieves Cup with three match days, unlike in 2024 when the first Concacaf W Gold Cup was held.
SUMMARY:
- 2025: 6 friendly windows, no official windows
- 2026: 4 friendly windows, 1 official window (Concacaf qualifying for FIFA WWC in November/December)
- 2027: 5 friendly windows, 1 official window (FIFA WWC)
- 2028: 2 friendly windows, 4 official windows (Olympics, Concacaf Women’s Nations League)
- 2029: 4 or 5 friendly windows, 1 official window (Concacaf W Gold Cup)
For windows when friendlies are allowed, the USWNT may either play up to two or three matches, depending on the “type” of the window:
- Type I: 2 matches allowed — These windows start on Monday and run through the following Tuesday.
- Type II: 3 matches allowed — In 2025, these windows begin on Monday and run through Wednesday. However, starting in 2026, these windows will begin on Tuesday and run through the following Saturday, which will allow for an extra rest day between matches and two weekend matches (e.g. Friday, Tuesday, Saturday).
Although U.S. Soccer typically only announces friendlies a few months in advance, since the dates of future friendly windows are known and given the past scheduling of USWNT friendlies, the dates of future USWNT friendlies can be reasonably inferred using the following general rules:
- The first few days of a window are used for travel and practice.
- The final friendly is almost always scheduled for the last day of the window.
- There will be at least two days between matches.
Thus, “Type I” windows will typically have matches on Friday or Saturday and then on the following Tuesday.
For “Type II” windows in 2025, matches will typically be on Thursday, Sunday, and Wednesday. As this type of window will have a longer block of days starting in 2026, predicting how U.S. Soccer will uses such windows is a bit more difficult. If the USWNT plays three matches, then the earliest match day would likely be Friday. The following matches could be played on Tuesday and Saturday, which would allow three days between matches. Alternatively, the USWNT could play only two friendlies, one at home and the other outside the USA, say in Europe or Asia. In this alternative situation, the last match might be played a day or two earlier, which would allow additional rest days for players as they return to their clubs.
Example: 2025
The current year of 2025 has six friendly windows:
- February 17 to 26 (Type II): SheBelieves Cup, matches were on February 20, 23, and 26
- March 31 to April 8 (Type I): matches on April 5 and 8, both against Brazil
- May 26 to June 3 (Type I): TBD, matches expected on May 31 and June 3
- June 23 to July 2 (Type II): TBD, matches expected on June 26, June 29, and July 2
- October 20 to 29 (Type II): TBD, matches expected on October 23, 26, and 29
- November 24 to December 2 (Type I): TBD, matches expected on November 28/29 and December 2
A monthly Peacock subscription renews on the same numbered day each month (source: my emails), which makes it easy to determine when to subscribe and when to cancel. For 2025, one would need to subscribe for six monthly terms:
- February 20 to March 19
- April 5 to May 4
- May 5 to June 4
- June 5 to July 4
- October 23 to November 22
- November 23 to December 22
So, for those reading this ahead of the April friendlies against Brazil, one could subscribe to Peacock for three months, starting on April 5 and canceling before the July renewal date. Then, in October, one could subscribe for two months, starting any time after October 3 and canceling before the December renewal date. This would cost about $40 in total ($7.99/month x 5 months) and would be a savings of at least $24 compared to paying monthly, starting in April and without cancelling until after the December friendly.
A monthly Max subscription may not renew on the same numbered day each month (instead of the 20th of each month, it may be every 30 days – Quora post). If you currently or recently had a monthly paid Max subscription, you could search your saved emails for Max renewal notices and see which dates those were received.
The Streaming Services
As mentioned earlier, Max and Peacock are the only standalone streaming options for USWNT friendlies. Discussion of other sports streaming options, such as ESPN+, is mostly beyond the focus of this article.
Most “No Ads” plans have exceptions where ads may be shown during live sports and other linear programming (i.e., not on-demand movies and shows).
Max (www.max.com)
The Max streaming service has three standalone plans:
- Basic With Ads: $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually (NO LIVE SPORTS)
- Standard: $16.99 per month or $169.99 annually (LIVE SPORTS; No Ads*)
- Premium: $20.99 per month or $209.99 annually (LIVE SPORTS; No Ads*; 4K/Dolby)
Alternatively, Max can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu:
- “With Ads” Bundle: $16.99 per month, no annual plan (NO LIVE SPORTS)
- “No Ads” Bundle: $29.99 per month, no annual plan (LIVE SPORTS; No Ads*)
The “No Ads” bundle saves about $7.00 per month compared to the best monthly alternative of subscribing to the “Disney Bundle Duo Premium”, which includes Disney+ and Hulu for $19.99 per month (help.DisneyPlus.com), and the Max “Standard” plan, which costs $16.99 per month.
For those who currently have the Max “Basic With Ads” plan and also have one of the “Disney Bundle Trio” plans, which include Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, the more cost-effective option to watch USWNT friendlies would be to also subscribe to Peacock, rather than upgrading to the Max “Standard” plan.
For fans of women’s professional soccer, ESPN+ is worth having as it has the rights to some NWSL matches as well as some English Women’s Super League matches and Women’s FA Cup matches.
ESPN+ also shows dozens of NCAA women’s soccer matches, including most NCAA Division I national championship matches, except for the College Cup (national semifinals and final), which are shown on ESPN’s linear channels. However, regular season and conference tournament matches involving teams from top NCAA Division I conferences such as the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC, can only be streamed if one has access through a TV service provider (e.g. cable, satellite, etc.)
Peacock (www.peacocktv.com)
NBCUniversal’s Peacock has two plans:
- Premium: $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually (LIVE SPORTS)
- Premium Plus: $13.99 per month or $139.99 annually (LIVE SPORTS; No Ads*)
Peacock plans renew on the same day every month. For example, if one initially subscribed on April 5th, one would next be billed on May 5th, then June 5th, and so on (source: my emails).
Peacock also has the rights for the USL Super League, which is the new women’s professional soccer league in the United States. Launched in 2024, the USL Super League is technically on the same level, “Division I”, as the National Women’s Soccer League, but is effectively one tier down. The USL Super League season runs from August to May.
On the men’s side, Peacock also shows some matches from England’s Premier League.
Although NBCUniversal has the Spanish-language rights for FIFA youth Women’s World Cups, in 2024, those matches could only be streamed if one had the Telemundo and Universo channels through a TV service provider.
Alternative Streaming Options
Those who still have either a traditional TV service provider, such as a cable or satellite company, or a virtual TV service provider, such as YouTube TV or FuboTV, likely have access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT and TBS channels, which broadcast USWNT friendlies with English-language coverage.
Those with more comprehensive channel packages likely also have access to NBCUniversal’s Universo channel, which shows USWNT friendlies with Spanish-language coverage.
Thus, having Max and/or Peacock to stream USWNT friendlies will likely be unnecessary for those with a TV service provider.
However, the option of streaming is useful for those who will be outside the home (but still within the United States) during a USWNT friendly. TBS, TNT, and Universo can be streamed using a TV service provider’s streaming platform (via an app or website) as well as the channel’s respective website and/or app.
TV Service Provider Streaming
Many traditional TV service providers such as Spectrum, Xfinity (Comcast), and Dish Network have streaming platforms that subscribers can use to watch live television and on demand offerings using an app or a website.
Examples of such websites include…
- Spectrum: watch.spectrum.net
- Xfinity: www.xfinity.com/stream/
- Dish Network: www.dishanywhere.com
However, not all channels are available when outside one’s home. Typically, the unavailable channels are local affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC, et cetera.
For those with Xfinity, TBS, TNT, and Universo should be available outside one’s home (Xfinity support page with list of channels). Neither Spectrum nor Dish Network appears to have a similar published list of channels.
As there could be restrictions on which channels are available, if practical, it is recommended that viewers test the app or website they intend to use ahead of time. For example, if using a smartphone app, one should turn off Wifi and use their cellular data network to watch a channel live using the app.
Watch TNT / Watch TBS Apps (and Websites)
For those who have TNT and TBS through a TV service provider, those channels can be watched live using the “Watch TNT” and “Watch TBS” apps as well as on the channels’ respective websites:
In order to access the live streams, one will need to link their TV service provider account. For more details, see this TNT help page.
NBC Sports app (NBC.com)
Similarly, for those who have NBCUniversal’s Telemundo and Universo channels through a TV service provider, live matches and replays of recent matches can be watched using the NBC Sports app and on the NBC.com website.
Unlike the TNT and TBS apps, the USWNT friendlies will appear as individual matches, which will allow for live pausing and replaying sections of the match.
In order to watch through NBC Sports or NBC.com, one will need to link their TV service provider account. For more details, see this NBC help page.
USA Media rights for friendlies and other USWNT matches
This section is included to help those trying to determine which assortment of streaming services and/or TV service provider package(s) are worth paying for.
As discussed earlier, Warner Bros. Discovery has the English-language broadcast and streaming rights for USWNT friendlies, while NBCUniversal has the Spanish-language rights for those matches. WBD’s current contract expires at the end of 2030 (U.S. Soccer press release). NBCUniversal’s media rights deal runs through at least 2026 (U.S. Soccer press release).
In the USA, media rights for official tournaments, such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Concacaf W Championship are presently held by other entities:
- FIFA Women’s World Cup: Netflix has the rights for the 2027 and 2031 editions, not only for English-language coverage, but also for Spanish-language coverage (FIFA press release).
- Concacaf senior women’s competitions: Paramount Global (Paramount+, CBS Sports Network, CBS) has the English-language rights. Note: It is unclear when their current contract, which looks to have been signed in 2021, expires (CBS press release). Regarding the Spanish-language rights, ESPN (ESPN Deportes and ESPN+) had the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, which may have been just for that tournament (ESPN press release). Prior to that, TelevisaUnivision (Univision, TUDN, ViX) had the rights for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship (Concacaf.com).
Less clear is which entities, if any, currently have the English-language and Spanish-language rights for the 2028 Concacaf Women’s Nations League matches, which could be split between multiple media companies. As those matches are three years away, their relevance to deciding on which streaming service subscriptions to use at this time are minimal, so parsing press release language is not necessary.
Additionally, for those interested in watching official women’s youth competitions, those media rights are also held by other companies:
- FIFA youth Women’s World Cups: FOX Sports (FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Soccer Plus)* has the English-language rights, and NBCUniversal (Universo, NBC Sports, NBC.com) has the Spanish-language rights. Both rights deals, which also cover the men’s World Cup and other FIFA competitions, expire at the end of 2026 (Awful Announcing post). In 2024 neither the FIFA U-20 WWC or its U-17 equivalent were streamed via Peacock.
- Concacaf women’s youth competitions: FOX Sports (FOX Sports 2, FOX Soccer Plus)* has the English-language rights for the Under-20 and Under-17 levels. It appears that FOX’s current Concacaf media rights deal expires in 2025 (Sports Business Journal article). The Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship is currently only streamed through the barebones live-only “Concacaf GO” platform. Also, according to Concacaf’s website, there does not appear to be a current Spanish-language rights holder for the United States as the Concacaf website’s “Watch” pages for the U-17 WWC qualifiers and Women’s U-20 Championship only list the English rights holders for the competition. (Additionally, see this Concacaf press release for TelevisaUnivision’s current deal, which does not mention any women’s youth tournaments.)
*At present, FOX does not offer a standalone streaming service that includes its FOX Sports and FOX Soccer Plus programming. However, in late 2025 they are planning on doing so (Reuters article). Some FOX Sports programming is also available through the free Tubi streaming service (tubitv.com).
Background: This was not an out-of-the-blue decision
Warner Bros. Discovery (“WBD”) announced the change on Wednesday, February 26th, via a press release as well as through emails to Max subscribers.
The decision to remove sports programming from Max’s least-expensive plan is apparently a partial reversal of WBD’s previously announced roadmap for its sports programming. Originally, WBD announced that it intended to offer a separate sports tier, under its “Bleacher Report” brand as an “add-on” to Max subscriptions (September 2023 press release). Starting in October 2023, the “Bleacher Report Sports Add-On” package was included at “no additional charge” to all Max subscribers, regardless of which plan they had.
The free preview period for the B/R Sports add-on was suppose to end in February 2024, but was indefinitely delayed in early January 2024 (Deadline.com article).
In related news…
One month later, WBD, plus ESPN and FOX announced a joint venture to build and launch a combined streaming sports service (February 2024 press release).
However, FuboTV, which operates a sports-focused digital channel streaming service, filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the proposed joint venture. In August 2024, the joint venture, which was then known as “Venu Sports”, suffered a critical blow when the federal district court judge in the case issued a preliminary injunction that paused the joint venture while the lawsuit proceeded (ESPN article).
In January 2025, that lawsuit was settled (CNBC.com article) and the joint venture was subsequently abandoned (WBD press release). Additionally, FuboTV is now merged with Disney’s Hulu+ Live TV service (CNBC.com article).
The press release and subscriber email
Warner Bros. Discovery announced the upcoming removal of live sports from the Max “Basic With Ads” plan on Wednesday, February 26, and sent emails to current subscribers that same day.
Both the press release and the email specifically included “U.S. Soccer”.
Press Release
“Max To Keep Live Sports And News Within Standard And Premium Subscription Tiers At No Additional Cost To Consumers” (26-Feb-2025)
Highlights this year include… up to 20 U.S. Men’s and Women’s National team soccer matchups
Subscriber Email
The below screenshots show the email that went out to subscribers of Max’s “Basic With Ads” plan. Those who were on other plans likely received an email with different wording.
![A Couple of Upcoming Changes
Hi [removed],
We hope you’ve enjoyed free access to CNN Max and B/R Sports on your Basic With Ads plan, which we offered on a limited-time, promotional basis.
Starting on March 30, 2025, this promotional access will come to an end on the Basic With Ads subscription tier.
Users who would like to retain access to CNN Max and B/R Sports are invited to upgrade to our Standard plan.
To manage your subscription, or to upgrade and continue streaming CNN Max and B/R Sports, featuring 1,700+ live events in 2025 including NCAA® Men’s March Madness®, NBA, MLB™, NHL, NASCAR, and more, click here to learn more.](https://wsoccerexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2025-max-email-top.png?w=737)
The bottom of the email had a black-colored box that included six media rights properties: NBA, NCAA March Madness, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, and U.S. Soccer.
Women's Soccer Express 