ESPN Doubles Down on Women’s Sports: AUSL Lands Historic Broadcast Deal

When the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) debuted earlier this year, it promised a new model for professional women’s sports — athlete-led, data-backed, and designed for the modern fan. Now, that vision just got a major validation.

Today, ESPN and Athletes Unlimited announced a multi-year broadcast extension, cementing ESPN as the official broadcast home of AU’s professional leagues: softball, basketball, and volleyball.

Beginning in 2026, ESPN will air 50 AUSL games annually — including 47 regular-season matchups and a best-of-three Championship Series — across its platforms. And in a landmark first, one of those games will air on ABC, marking the first time professional softball has ever been broadcast on national network television.

You can call it a renewal. But it’s really an entire recalibration of value.

Softball Proved the Model Works

ESPN’s decision didn’t come out of nowhere. It was softball that opened this door.

In its inaugural season, the AUSL generated numbers that forced the sports world to pay attention:

• Viewership up 88% year-over-year across ESPN networks
• 230,000 average viewers for the Championship Series
• 24 sold-out games nationwide
• Over $1 million in merchandise sales
• 237 million social media impressions and 450,000 new followers

Those are commercial metrics that rival emerging men’s leagues — and they’re built on storytelling, authenticity, and community more than massive marketing budgets.

It’s also perfectly timed with ESPN’s broader softball surge:

• The 2025 Women’s College World Series Finals averaged 2.2 million viewers — the most-watched on record
• The overall WCWS averaged 1.3 million viewers, up 24% year-over-year
• The Little League Softball World Series broke its own record with 1.4 million viewers for the championship game

Softball is now ESPN’s most consistently growing women’s property, and this deal is the network’s way of doubling down.

What It Means for the Business of Women’s Sports

ESPN isn’t expanding coverage because it’s a charity move — they’re doing it because the data proves demand. Softball has become the proof of concept for the entire Athletes Unlimited ecosystem: build a legitimate product, let athletes lead it, and the audience will follow.

For Athletes Unlimited, it’s validation of their player-first ownership structure, where athletes share in profits and influence business decisions. For ESPN, it’s a strategic long play — capturing loyalty early in the fastest-growing segment of the sports market: women’s professional sports.

Few voices carry more perspective on the league’s evolution than Aubrey Leach, a founding AUSL athlete and member of the Player Executive Board who’s helped shape the league from the inside out:

"The continued support from ESPN speaks volumes to what Athletes Unlimited brings to the table. It's a game-changer for the AUSL and women’s sports."

"We are extremely appreciative to have a partner that sees the importance of visibility in growing our game and showcasing the incredible athletes in this league."

"The coverage of our 2026 Championship Series on ABC is monumental! When fans can watch our league on the biggest sports platform in the world, it validates the level of talent in the AUSL and inspires the next generation of young players to dream even bigger."

Business of Ball Takeaway

Softball built the bridge that every other women’s sport will now walk across.

The AUSL proved women’s sports can generate ratings, sell out venues, move merchandise, and drive social engagement at scale. This partnership positions softball as the cornerstone of women’s pro sports growth, showing brands and networks that return on investment isn’t hypothetical — it’s happening.

The ripple effects are enormous:

• Sponsors will see softball as a gateway into the women’s sports economy.
• Media partners will begin treating softball coverage as a commercial asset, not a passion project.
• Athletes will gain leverage in negotiations, NIL deals, and long-term brand building.

ESPN may be calling it a “multi-year extension,” but in reality, it’s a relaunch — one that redefines the ceiling for professional softball and, by extension, every women’s sport that follows.