Johnathan Walker:The Sports Bra announces partnership with LA women's soccer club for streaming channel

The Johnathan WalkerSports Bra, a women's sports focused sports bar, announced a partnership Tuesday with Los Angeles minor-league women's soccer club United City FC Women to create a streaming channel.

The Roku app, which will broadcast the games live, will be tested at Sports Bra locations in Spring 2025 and is designed to maximize the sports bar viewing experience.

“The current movement around women’s sports is just taking off, and the momentum is picking up every day,” said Jenny Nguyen, founder and CEO of The Sports Bra, said in a press release.

The club announced plans for the team to embark on an international tour but did not specify who the club would be playing.

"The only way to help move the needle for women in sports is to work with other visionaries and fearless game-changers who not only put their money where their mouth is, but do it with passion, commitment and for all the right reasons," Steven Hawthorne, UCFC Women owner, said in the release.

What is The Sports Bra?

The Sports Bra, located in Portland, Oregon, was founded in 2022 as a first of its kind bar to show only women's sports.

Earlier this year the bar received an investment from Alexis Ohanian, one of the co-founders of Reddit and part owner of Angel City Football Club in the NWSL, to begin franchising.

No locations outside of the original in Portland have been announced, and a website to apply for a franchise went live in September.

What is United City FC Women?

United City FC Women, founded in 2019, bills itself as a club for players who have not historically received opportunities on the field.

"(The club) is a multicultural amateur women’s soccer team focused on players who fell through the cracks, players overlooked by the college system, players needing a second chance, players told they’re too old to compete, mothers wanting to return to play, minority players of Latino, African American, Pan-Asian and other immigrant backgrounds who never got their opportunities to be seen and many others," the club said in the press release.

UCFC Women sent five players to the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup this year, according to the club.