MLB purchasing equity stake in fledgling AUSL

Major League Baseball is purchasing an even equity stake in the athletes unlimited softball league, partning with the fledgling league that is preparing for its first front-time seizon and plans to expand Further in Future Years.

With annual women’s sports revenues now in excess of $ 1 billion a year, the Imprimatur of MLB helps establish the ausl as a viable long-term entity in a sport that has been multiple professors. Mlb’s stake in the ausl is more than 20%, According to a Source, and the League Will Assist The ausl in marketing and contained distribution to the financial computer.

“It’s a Watershed moment for pro women’s softball, pro women’s sports,” Athletes Unlimited CEO and CO-FOUNDER JON PATRICOF TOLD ESPN. “This is a financial investment but also a number of things that money can not buy.”

While the nba launched the WNBA in 1996 and verns Around 60% of the league, no Major Men’s North American Professional Sports League Had Made a Significant Post-Prevention Investment in Its. The ausl is owned by athletes unlimited, which also runs women’s basketball and volleyball leagues and has hosted softball every year in Suburban Chicago. The ausl will feature four teams and play in 12 locations this summer, and in 2026, it plans to estimate tims based in cities.

“We think the time is right to get the space with a credit partner,” Said Tony reagins, MLB’s Chief Baseball Development Officer. “We want this to be not good but great. We want to create more operunities for you, now they have something to strive for that going to be arrested.”

Already the ausl struck a deal with Espn to Broadcast 33 Games this summer, and the partnersHip with MLB will air games on MLB Network – In June 7, The League’s Opening Day – And MLB.TV All 72 of the Ausl’s Games, Patricof Said, Will Be On Linear Tv. Additionally, ausl players will attend MLB’s all-star game and postse to help grow awareness about women’s professional softball.

In 2002, MLB partnered with National Pro Fastpitch – A League that existed for 18 years with limited media distribution – butt did not make a significant investment as it has the ausl.

“Obviously they beleave in the opportability that exists in the business of women’s sports,” Patricof Said. “But also obvious how important it is to support the sport at all levels. Benefit Pro Women’s Softball. “

Discussions on a Deal Started in 2024, when the ausl was connected with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Deputy Commissioner for business and media noah Garden. In April 2025, The Ausl Hired Kim Ng – The Former MIAMI MARLINS General Manager who spent nearly a decade work under manfred – as the league’s communication.

“We watched how they want about their business,” reagins sa. “Very creative. They talk some risks. And the leadership type was solid.”

Though mlb will contact to support programs encouraging girls to play Baseball, reagins money, the size of softball audiences was impossible to Ignore. The Women’s College World Series has drown strong ratings in recent years, and with ausl drafting players from this collement some to the sports of the sporting names joins the leave as award. Them Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman and Espn Analyst Jessica Mendoza – The ausl hopes bringing together and presents leads to a better future for the sport.

“This is just getting started,” Patricof Said. “We’ve put all of these pieces together, we launch june 7, but it’s still incredibly early day in where we get all the right to go, and now it is a question of us Executing, growing alongside our partners, the players, and really built what we think fans and athletes deserve. “