MLB Invests in Athletes Unlimited Softball League
Great news for women’s softball. Major League Baseball (MLB) has decided to invest in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), marking a significant milestone in professional women’s sports. This strategic partnership seeks to boost the growth and visibility of the league, which is preparing for its inaugural season with four teams and expansion plans.
With women’s sports revenue exceeding one billion dollars annually, MLB’s backing positions the AUSL as a viable long-term entity. MLB’s investment exceeds 20%, according to sources, and in addition to the financial injection, the league will provide support in marketing and content distribution.“It’s a pivotal moment for professional women’s softball and professional women’s sports,” stated Jon Patricof, CEO and co-founder of Athletes Unlimited. “This is a financial investment, but it’s also about many things that money can’t buy.”
Jon Patricof, CEO and co-founder of Athletes Unlimited
Unlike the NBA, which launched the WNBA in 1996 and owns about 60% of the league, no other North American men’s professional sports league had made a significant investment in its female counterpart after its creation. The AUSL, owned by Athletes Unlimited, which also operates women’s basketball and volleyball leagues, has organized softball events for the past five years.
The AUSL will have four teams and will play in 12 locations this summer. By 2026, it plans to establish city-based teams.
“We believe this is the right time to enter this space with a credible partner,” said Tony Reagins, MLB’s director of baseball development. “We want this to be not just good, but great. We want to create more opportunities for young women. Now they have something to strive for that will be present.”
Tony Reagins, MLB’s director of baseball development
The AUSL has an agreement to broadcast 33 games this summer, and the partnership with MLB will air games on MLB Network, including one on June 7, the league’s opening day, and MLB.tv. The AUSL’s 72 games, according to Patricof, will be broadcast on linear television. In addition, AUSL players will attend the MLB All-Star Game and postseason to help raise awareness about professional women’s softball.
Conversations about the agreement began in 2024, when the AUSL contacted MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and deputy commissioner of business and media, Noah Garden. In April, the AUSL hired Kim Ng, former general manager of the Miami Marlins, who spent nearly a decade working under Manfred, as league commissioner.
“We watched how they did business,” Reagins said. “Very creative. They took risks. And the leadership team was solid.”
Tony Reagins, MLB’s director of baseball development
Although MLB will continue to support programs to encourage girls to play baseball, Reagins said the size of the softball audience was impossible to ignore. The Women’s College World Series has attracted strong ratings in recent years, and with the AUSL recruiting players from this college season to complement some of the biggest names in the sport joining the league as advisors, including Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman, and Jessica Mendoza, the league hopes that the union of the past and present will lead to a better future for the sport.
“This is just beginning,” said Patricof. “We’ve assembled all these pieces, we launched on June 7th, but it’s still incredibly early in what we envision the AUSL to be. We have all the right pieces in place, and now it’s a matter of us executing, growing together with our partners, the players, and really building what we believe the fans and athletes deserve.”
Jon Patricof, CEO and Co-founder of Athletes Unlimited
