Julie Haddon
Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Julie Haddon is Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In this role, Haddon leads the NWSL’s Marketing & Commercial Organization, including marketing, communications, business intelligence, new business development, sponsorships, consumer products and broadcast operations.
Haddon served as the NWSL’s first-ever CMO from 2022 through the 2023 season, leading the league’s advertising, creative, media, communications, social/player marketing, and business intelligence functions, along with the licensing and consumer products businesses. Under her tenure, the NWSL launched its first-ever marketing campaign, saw record-breaking attendance numbers, skyrocketing team valuations and expansion fees, announced a groundbreaking $240M media rights deal and most recently, announced a historic new collective bargaining agreement that makes the NWSL the first ever U.S. professional sports league to eliminate its draft and give players full control over where they play.
Julie has spearheaded new partnerships with leading brands including e.l.f. Beauty, Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hydration, Adobe, Bobbie, EA Sports and Google/Pixel. Under her leadership, the NWSL was tabbed the highest-momentum league amongst U.S. sports brands in a FANDEX fandom study. The 2024 season saw record-breaking viewership and attendance, topping 2 million fans for the first time and marking the third straight year the league surpassed 1 million in total attendance. The 2024 season also saw broadcast viewership reach 17.1 million, with 5 of the top 10 most-viewed matches in NWSL history. 2024 also saw an 80% rise in social impressions on league channels, while engagement across league social platforms increased 152%.
During Julie’s tenure, the NWSL has been named to both Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies List and their 2024 Brands that Matter List. Julie was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2024 Power Players List and their 2023 Game Changers List. She was recognized as one of Ad Week’s 2023 Champions of Change, and one of Cynopsis Sports’ 2023 Top Women in Media.
Julie joined the NWSL after spending five years at the NFL, where she served as Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing overseeing some of the most successful, award-winning marketing programs of all time. She also founded and served as the executive sponsor of NFL Pride, the league’s first-ever LGBTQ+ group committed to advancing efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to her work with the NFL, Haddon held a variety of senior Marketing leadership positions across the technology and entertainment sectors. As an investor, Haddon joined the Chicago Red Stars ownership group in 2021 and divested from the club prior to assuming her role at the league office.
She attended Indiana University where she was a member of the Big 10 champion Hoosiers Softball program. Haddon resides in the SF Bay Area with her family.
Haddon served as the NWSL’s first-ever CMO from 2022 through the 2023 season, leading the league’s advertising, creative, media, communications, social/player marketing, and business intelligence functions, along with the licensing and consumer products businesses. Under her tenure, the NWSL launched its first-ever marketing campaign, saw record-breaking attendance numbers, skyrocketing team valuations and expansion fees, announced a groundbreaking $240M media rights deal and most recently, announced a historic new collective bargaining agreement that makes the NWSL the first ever U.S. professional sports league to eliminate its draft and give players full control over where they play.
Julie has spearheaded new partnerships with leading brands including e.l.f. Beauty, Alex Cooper’s Unwell Hydration, Adobe, Bobbie, EA Sports and Google/Pixel. Under her leadership, the NWSL was tabbed the highest-momentum league amongst U.S. sports brands in a FANDEX fandom study. The 2024 season saw record-breaking viewership and attendance, topping 2 million fans for the first time and marking the third straight year the league surpassed 1 million in total attendance. The 2024 season also saw broadcast viewership reach 17.1 million, with 5 of the top 10 most-viewed matches in NWSL history. 2024 also saw an 80% rise in social impressions on league channels, while engagement across league social platforms increased 152%.
During Julie’s tenure, the NWSL has been named to both Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies List and their 2024 Brands that Matter List. Julie was named to Sports Business Journal’s 2024 Power Players List and their 2023 Game Changers List. She was recognized as one of Ad Week’s 2023 Champions of Change, and one of Cynopsis Sports’ 2023 Top Women in Media.
Julie joined the NWSL after spending five years at the NFL, where she served as Senior Vice President of Global Brand and Consumer Marketing overseeing some of the most successful, award-winning marketing programs of all time. She also founded and served as the executive sponsor of NFL Pride, the league’s first-ever LGBTQ+ group committed to advancing efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. Prior to her work with the NFL, Haddon held a variety of senior Marketing leadership positions across the technology and entertainment sectors. As an investor, Haddon joined the Chicago Red Stars ownership group in 2021 and divested from the club prior to assuming her role at the league office.
She attended Indiana University where she was a member of the Big 10 champion Hoosiers Softball program. Haddon resides in the SF Bay Area with her family.