Move of the Week: Sephora Steps Into the Softball Spotlight
How the AUSL’s newest partnership is redefining power, beauty, and brand alignment in women’s sports
When Sephora became the presenting sponsor of the AUSL Championship Series, it wasn’t just a smart marketing play — it was a cultural shift.
Starting July 26, ESPN will broadcast the best-of-three title series between the Bandits and Talons, with Sephora’s name front and center. But this isn’t a logo-in-the-corner kind of sponsorship. It’s a full-scale partnership that includes on-air branding, in-venue activations, digital and social integrations, and even a glam suite for the players.
The message is clear: beauty, power, and athleticism don’t just coexist — they belong on the same stage.
Beauty x Softball: A New Era
Sephora’s presence in the AUSL isn’t a one-off. The deal extends beyond the Championship Series, with activations planned for the AUSL All-Star Cup in August — a 21-game competition featuring 60 of the sport’s best athletes. During Media Day, players will have access to a Sephora Glam Suite, while fans will experience giveaways, photo ops, and social content developed in collaboration with select athletes.
It’s the kind of investment rarely seen in softball — and it aligns perfectly with the AUSL’s mission to reimagine what professional women’s sports can look like.
Why Now?
The timing is no accident. Sephora’s deal closed on May 29, the same day Major League Baseball announced its eight-figure investment in the AUSL. That synergy wasn’t lost on the league’s leadership.
The message to brands? Women’s sports are no longer a risk — they’re an opportunity.
Sephora’s Sports Playbook Is Growing
This isn’t Sephora’s first step into the sports world. In January, the brand signed on as the official beauty partner of Unrivaled, a new offseason women’s basketball league. By April, Sephora had joined the Golden State Valkyries — the WNBA’s newest team — as a founding partner. And now, the AUSL.
It’s a deliberate expansion into an audience that’s growing fast — and buying even faster.
According to market analysts Circana, prestige beauty sales were flat in Q1 2025 — a major slowdown from 14% growth in 2023. As brands look for new, value-aligned audiences, women’s sports fans are proving to be a natural fit.
What This Means for the AUSL
The AUSL is more than a start-up league — it’s a professionally run, MLB-backed operation led by Commissioner Kim Ng, with advisors like Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, Cat Osterman, and Natasha Watley.
The league’s structure — a touring format in 2025 with city-based franchises launching in 2026 — gives brands like Sephora the chance to plug into multiple markets, fast.
It also allows players to build year-round visibility and brand equity — something few women’s leagues have been able to offer at scale.
Why It Works
This partnership works because it doesn’t treat beauty and athleticism as opposites — it treats them as coexisting truths.
It also taps into something deeper: fans want to see athletes as whole people. They want behind-the-scenes access, personality, rituals, and realness. And if makeup is part of that pregame ritual? Let it be.
Michaela Edenfield: Makeup as Power, Not a Mask
Florida State catcher Michaela Edenfield is one of the rising faces of college softball — known not just for her power at the plate, but for her signature eye makeup on game days. For Edenfield, the Sephora x AUSL partnership is personal.
“For me, this partnership is huge because it represents something I’ve always believed — that you don’t have to sacrifice who you are to compete at the highest level,” Edenfield told Business of Ball. “I’ve always loved makeup, not as a mask, but as a way to show personality and confidence. On the field, I want to feel fierce and grounded, and sometimes that makeup — razzle dazzle — makes me feel like ME.”
“It’s not about looking perfect. It’s about owning my identity while I play the game I love.”
Edenfield also sees the Sephora partnership as a larger movement — not just for softball, but for women’s sports as a whole.
“Seeing Sephora step into women’s sports — starting with Unrivaled, then the Golden State Valkyries, and now professional softball — really feels like a turning point. It shows that brands see us not just as athletes, but as individuals with stories, style, and voices.”
“It’s breaking that old idea that women have to tone down their femininity to be taken seriously in sports. Instead, it’s encouraging us to lean into who we are — whether that’s bold makeup, natural looks, or anything in between — and still be respected as competitors.”
“This feels like a step toward a culture where self-expression isn’t just allowed, it’s celebrated. And honestly, it’s proof that the growth of our game isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about the culture we’re building for the next generation of athletes to feel seen, supported, and unapologetically themselves.”
Why This REALLY Matters
When I was playing, the idea of putting on makeup before a game wasn’t just rare — it was almost frowned upon. If you were taking time to do your lashes or to touch up your makeup before first pitch, it meant your priorities were off. I remember one playoff game where I drew two small crosses under my eyes in eye black — and mid-game, the ump made me walk off the field to wipe them off.
Jewelry wasn’t allowed either. We had to tape over our earrings or take them out completely. And even our hair accessories had to match — same ribbon, same bow, same everything.
Self-expression? Barely tolerated. Definitely not celebrated.
So when I see a partnership like AUSL x Sephora, it hits different.
I recently covered the LHSAA State Softball Championships as a color commentator, and what stood out wasn’t just the talent — it was the individuality. The braids, the jewels, the glitter, the looks. The little girl inside of me was giddy witnessing the growth the sport had made with self-expression.
Players like Edenfield are building their brands through game-day glam. Her makeup is next level art — and guess what? She’s still producing on the field. You can care about how you play and how you look. You don’t have to choose.
This partnership with Sephora screams that. It tells every young girl that their confidence, their style, and their identity belong in this game.
And for that? It’s not just a good move. It’s a powerful one.
What Comes Next
The AUSL Championship presented by Sephora kicks off Saturday, July 26 at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN, with Games 2 and 3 scheduled through July 28. The All-Star Cup follows in August. And Sephora’s involvement — from glam suites to content creation — is just getting started.
If you’re a fan of the sport, it’s a win.If you’re a brand watching from the sidelines?Now’s the time to get in the game.
