Breaking News: MLB Announces Strategic Investment in Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL)

Breaking News

Editors Note: Extra Inning Softball has received permission to publish the following release, which was provided by Major League Baseball and Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). The announcement was made public earlier today and is authorized for immediate distribution.

New York, N.Y. – Major League Baseball today announced a strategic investment in the AUSL (Athletes Unlimited Softball League), marking a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive partnership with a women’s professional sports league to help establish and grow the AUSL as a sustainable organization. The announcement will be made this morning on CBS Mornings.

As a part of MLB’s ongoing commitment to supporting the growth of softball at all levels, MLB will work collaboratively to help raise the visibility of the AUSL and its athletes in a variety of manners across MLB’s marketing, events, distribution, editorial, digital and social platforms, content and more, including select AUSL games airing on MLB Network and MLB.TV (full AUSL broadcast schedule to be announced next week). In addition, MLB’s financial investment will assist with league operational costs and key growth initiatives. The new pro softball league launches its inaugural season with Opening Day on Saturday, June 7th with games in Rosemont, Illinois and Wichita, Kansas (the Wichita game airs exclusively on MLB Network at 7:30 p.m. ET).

This wide-ranging partnership encompasses significant engagement with the AUSL across many areas of MLB’s business operations including collaborative sales and marketing efforts, while AUSL athletes and storylines will be featured across MLB’s digital platforms and incorporated into select MLB events, including the All-Star Game and throughout the MLB Postseason.

This landmark relationship builds on MLB’s longstanding efforts to grow the game of softball while providing greater access and visibility to girls and women in the sport nationwide, including through the League’s longstanding association with USA Softball and support of the Women’s National Team, more recently as an Official Sponsor of the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association), and through MLB’s youth engagement initiatives such as PLAY BALL, the Nike RBI program, the Elite Development Invitational, the Breakthrough Series, and more.

Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. 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. As a part of our broader commitment to growing softball and creating more opportunities for women and girls in sports, this agreement reflects our confidence in Kim Ng’s leadership, the AUSL vision, and the incredible talent of its athletes. During this extraordinarily exciting time for women’s sports, we want softball to thrive. MLB is committed to help build a sustainable and impactful league that drives fandom, serves the softball community, and benefits all female athletes.”

AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng said: “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. Together, we’re going to reach new fans and inspire the next generation of softball players.”

MLB Network will cover the announcement at MLB’s Flagship Store in New York City on Thursday, May 29th, with Commissioner Manfred, AUSL Commissioner Kim Ng, softball greats Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley, two-time All-Star and Sports Emmy Award-winning analyst Harold Reynolds of MLB Network, and four-time MLB All-Star Dellin Betances all expected to be in attendance.

Host AJ Andrews will be on-site in Rosemont, Illinois on Friday, June 6th and Saturday, June 7th to cover Opening Weekend, including interviews running in MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning MLB Tonight: National Pregame Show. For Opening Weekend, MLB Network will exclusively air the Volts against the Blaze on June 7th live at 7:30 p.m. ET in Wichita, Kansas, with the game also being accessible to MLB Network Direct-to-Consumer and MLB.TV subscribers. In addition to select live games, MLB Network will feature game highlights throughout the season within studio content.

During this inaugural season, AUSL’s four teams – the Bandits, Blaze, Talons and Volts – will play 24 games each between June 7th-July 23rd, culminating with the top two teams competing in the AUSL Championship, a best-of-three series to be held July 26th-28th at the University of Alabama’s Rhoads Stadium. Following the AUSL Championship, 60 players will compete for an individual championship in the AUSL All-Star Cup, a 21- game competition in August featuring the innovative Athletes Unlimited scoring system.

The AUSL will become a city-based league beginning in 2026, while in its inaugural season it will be a touring property featuring games in 12 different cities. The full AUSL game schedule can be found here, while single game tickets are now available here. More information, including team rosters and the regular season schedule broken down by team can be found at theAUSL.com.

The AUSL is part of Athletes Unlimited (AU), which was co-founded in 2020 by Jon Patricof (who also serves as CEO) and Jonathan Soros, and named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. In addition to the AUSL, AU owns and operates a portfolio of professional women’s sports leagues including basketball and volleyball properties. The AUSL is led by Commissioner Kim Ng – who was previously the first woman to be named General Manager of a major American men’s professional sports team (Miami Marlins, 2020-23) and also served as SVP, Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball from 2011-2020 – while AUSL advisors include MLB Softball Ambassadors Jennie Finch and Natasha Whatley, along with Jessica Mendoza and Cat Osterman.

CAA Evolution served as advisors for Athletes Unlimited throughout this process.

ABOUT ATHLETES UNLIMITED SOFTBALL LEAGUE: Launching in 2025, the AUSL will feature four teams playing a 24-game season (48 total games) in a traditional format. It will also be complemented and followed by the AUSL All-Star Cup (formerly known as the AU Pro Softball Championship Season), creating a new opportunity for the world’s best players to compete.

The AUSL is led by Commissioner Kim Ng, with support from the Player Executive Committee (Aubrey Leach, Megan Faraimo, Sierra Romero, Morgan Zerkle and Sharlize Palacios), and softball legends Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman and Natasha Watley, who serve as advisors to the AUSL. The AUSL will become a citybased league beginning in 2026, while the inaugural season in 2025 will be a touring property featuring games in 12 different cities. For more information follow @theauslofficial and visit theausl.com.

ABOUT ATHLETES UNLIMITED: Named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, Athletes Unlimited owns and operates professional women’s softball, volleyball, and basketball leagues featuring world-class competition and fan experience, and stands out as an organization driven by the athletes that play in the leagues, with athlete representation on the company’s board of directors, each league led by a Player Executive Committee, and players sharing in long-term profits of the company, all while being proactive in shaping policies supporting the women that play in the league. Athletes Unlimited is the first professional sports league to be organized as a Public Benefit Corporation. For more information, visit AUProSports.com.

ABOUT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB has achieved back-to-back attendance gains for the first time in 12 years with an overall increase of +11% and 80% of Clubs welcoming more fans over the last two seasons following extensive rule changes that have improved the quality of play on the field.

With the 2024 season featuring the best time of game in 40 years and the most stolen bases in 109 years, MLB viewership increased across all its national media partners, grew international viewership by +18%, set another record for MLB.TV streaming with more than 14 billion minutes watched and earned League of the Year honors from Sports Business Journal and the CLIOS. As the league increased its marketing efforts and promotion of star players like 2024 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge, MLB has significantly increased its younger fan base as evidenced through viewership, social media, ticket purchasing, and participation metrics.

Through its MLB Together social responsibility efforts, MLB remains committed to making a positive impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world. With the continued success of MLB Network, MLB digital platforms and local media production and distribution, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. To learn more about MLB, please visit www.mlb.com.

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