North America’s Major League Baseball (MLB) is making a strategic investment into the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) property.
The deal, unveiled yesterday (May 29), marks the first time MLB has invested in a professional softball league (with the AUSL part of the overall Athletes Unlimited US network of professional women’s sports leagues, launched in 2020). The stake is reportedly for more than 20%.
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The deal comes with US women’s sports leagues in general, including softball properties, having experienced a major surge in popularity and appeal over recent years.
As well as the investment and equity element of the deal, MLB will also assist AUSL – the league’s inaugural season is launching on June 7 – with marketing, as well as content distribution. Specifically, select AUSL games and highlights will air on MLB Network and MLB.com.
That element comes as an addition to the existing AUSL deal with heavyweight sports broadcaster ESPN, which has a multi-sport deal with Athletes Unlimited in place (also covering basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball). The last renewal between those parties was announced in February 2024.
The four initial AUSL teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts – will play 24 games each between June 7 and 23, culminating in the top two sides taking part in the post-season AUSL Championship (to be held in Alabama in late July). The AUSL will then become a city-based league next year, and plans to expand to six sides.
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By GlobalDataFor the softball league’s opening weekend, MLB Network will exclusively cover the clash in Wichita, Kansas, between the Volts and the Blaze.
In addition, AUSL athletes and stories will be featured on the range of MLB digital platforms and “incorporated into select MLB events.”
The investment will “assist with league operational costs and key growth initiatives.”
In a statement, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said: “Major League Baseball’s investment in the AUSL represents an opportunity to support softball’s long-term growth and expand our engagement with these outstanding athletes and their fans.
“MLB is committed to help build a sustainable and impactful league that drives fandom, serves the softball community, and benefits all female athletes.”
MLB also has a long-standing relationship with USA Softball and the country’s women’s national team.
Kim Ng, commissioner of the AUSL, added: “This is a watershed moment for women’s sports and especially for softball. MLB’s investment will supercharge our efforts to build the sustainable professional league this sport has long deserved, and sends a powerful message about the value of female athletes and the importance of creating professional opportunities for them.”
Ng was the first female general manager in MLB, holding that role at the Miami Marlins between 2020 and 2023.
Jon Patricof, co-founder and chief executive of Athletes Unlimited, also commented, saying: “The sport [softball] is growing at the grassroots level, the college level, and it will be back in the Olympics in 2028 … It’s kind of a giant among pro women’s sports right now.”
During the investment discussions, Athletes Unlimited was advised by CAA Evolution.
