ESPN and Athletes Unlimited introduced a three-year rights extension Wednesday that makes ESPN the official broadcast companion for the women’s skilled sports firm’s softball, basketball and volleyball leagues.
ESPN platforms will broadcast greater than 50 unique Athletes Unlimited Softball League games annually in the course of the deal. ABC will broadcast no less than one AUSL championship sequence sport in 2026. It would be the first time women’s professional softball shall be proven on community tv within the United States.
ESPN additionally will present all 24 video games of Athletes Unlimited’s basketball and volleyball leagues on ESPNU and ESPN+.
Rosalyn Durant, ESPN’s govt vice chairman for programming and acquisitions, mentioned elevated curiosity in women’s sports led to the deal.
“The growth we’ve seen across Athletes Unlimited’s leagues speaks to the power and appeal of women’s sports,” Durant mentioned in a press release. “We’re excited to deepen our partnership and bring even more of these moments and athletes to fans everywhere.”
The funding in professional softball follows report numbers for the faculty sport. The 2025 Women’s College World Series finals between Texas and Texas Tech averaged 2.2 million viewers throughout ESPN’s networks — the most-watched finals of all time. It averaged 1.3 million viewers throughout 15 World Series video games, additionally probably the most watched.
“This renewed and expanded partnership affirms the strength of our properties and reflects the growing enthusiasm for women’s professional sports,” Cheri Kempf, chief broadcast officer for Athletes Unlimited, mentioned in a press release. “We are excited to continue collaborating with ESPN’s outstanding team to elevate the AUSL, AU Pro Basketball and the AU Pro Volleyball Championship even further and deliver exceptional experiences for fans and brands alike.”
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