Major League Baseball announces investment in AUSL

Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced an investment in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), marking an unprecedented partnership with a women’s professional sports league.

This initiative aims to foster the establishment and growth of the AUSL as a sustainable organisation.

In alignment with MLB’s commitment to promoting softball across various levels, this collaboration seeks to enhance the visibility of the AUSL and its athletes through MLB’s extensive marketing and distribution channels. This includes the broadcasting of select AUSL games on MLB Network and MLB.com, with the full broadcast schedule to be released next week.

Moreover, MLB’s financial backing will support operational costs and aid critical growth initiatives for the league.

Commenting on the investment, 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.”

“This agreement reflects our confidence in Kim Ng’s leadership, the AUSL vision, and the incredible talent of its athletes. Our goal is for softball to thrive during this exciting time for women’s sports,” Manfred said

AUSL Commissioner, Kim Ng, added: “MLB’s investment will supercharge our efforts to build the sustainable professional league this sport has long deserved, sending a powerful message about the value of female athletes and the importance of creating professional opportunities for them.”

The partnership encompasses comprehensive engagement with the AUSL across multiple facets of MLB’s business operations, including joint sales and marketing strategies.

AUSL athletes and their narratives are expected to feature prominently across MLB’s digital platforms and at marquee events such as the All-Star Game and MLB Postseason.

Throughout the inaugural season, the AUSL’s four teams—the Bandits, Blaze, Talons, and Volts—will compete in a total of 24 games from June 7th to July 23rd, culminating in the AUSL Championship series slated for July 26th-28th at the University of Alabama’s Rhoads Stadium.

The season will then conclude with the AUSL All-Star Cup in August.

This new league structure aims to transition into a city-based model by 2026, allowing for broader engagement with fans across multiple cities throughout its initial season.

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