MLB takes bold step into women's sports with Athletes Unlimited Softball stake
Image Source: Getty
MLB is going big by investing in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL), a new women's professional softball league that launches its first season on June 7, 2025. This is MLB's first major investment in a women's professional sports league and will bring financial and promotional support to women's softball as the sport is blowing up.
MLB partners with AUSL to boost women's softball
MLB announced on May 29, 2025, that it's buying over 20% of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, giving a major boost to the new league that's set to start with four teams playing 24 games each in 12 cities across the country. That multimillion-dollar deal will go towards funding things such as running the league and promoting it to more fans.
— MLB (@MLB)
Marketing the product and airing the games will be a joint effort of MLB, including the first game at 7:00 PM ET on June 7, 2025, aired on MLB Network and MLB.tv.
ESPN's acquisition of the rights to broadcast all 72 games will ensure fans never have to worry about finding a channel to watch on.
Also Read:
Why the Los Angeles Angels' offence continues to struggle after loss to the New York Yankees
This is a big deal because it's rare for a major men's sports league like MLB to invest so much in a women's league after it's created, unlike the NBA, which started the WNBA. The AUSL, run by Athletes Unlimited, which also has women's basketball and volleyball leagues, wants to make softball a sport that lasts for years.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Truque caseiro noturno eficaz contra a papada (faça hoje mesmo)
Revista & Saúde
Saiba Mais
Undo
MLB's support will help get more people excited about the league by showing games and players at big events like the MLB All-Star Game and playoffs.
Kim Ng's leadership and softball's growing popularity
The AUSL is off to a strong start with Kim Ng as its new commissioner, hired in April 2025 to lead the league. Ng, who previously operated the Miami Marlins baseball organization and played on the collegiate level in softball has a wealth of experience and passion for the game.
Meanwhile, famous softball icons Jennie Finch, Cat Osterman and Jessica Mendoza, and some of the best players in the game – Lexi Kilfoyl and Megan Faraimo, who will be playing in the league following the drafts in January 2025 and May 2025.
Women's sports are becoming super popular, with over $1 billion in revenue each year, and softball is a big part of that. The 2024 Women's College World Series drew over 2 million viewers, representing a 24% increase from the previous year, underscoring the growing popularity of softball. With softball coming back to the Olympics in 2028, the AUSL plans to grow even more, moving to a city-based league in 2026 with six teams.
MLB's help will make sure more fans see the games and young girls have a pro league to dream about joining.
Get
IPL 2025
match
schedules
,
squads
,
points table
, and live scores for
CSK
,
MI
,
RCB
,
KKR
,
SRH
,
LSG
,
DC
,
GT
,
PBKS
, and
RR
. Check the latest
IPL Orange Cap
and
Purple Cap
standings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Indian Premier League 2025: IPL season 18: Qualifier 2 Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on June 1, 2025
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for a rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semifinal when the two teams face off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in Ahmedabad on Sunday (June 1, 2025). An eight-wicket hammering at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a one-sided Qualifier 1 may have eroded some amount of confidence in Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings, who are now in a do-or-die situation as they dream of winning a maiden IPL trophy. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians took another stride towards a potential sixth title with a comprehensive victory, which knocked out title favourites Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. History tells Mumbai Indians know their way around these lanes of IPL knockouts better than either of the other two teams left in the competition and that certainly tilt the scales in favour of Hardik Pandya's side. But coach Mahela Jayawardene's challenge would be to keep his troops organised which the former Sri Lankan captain has been able to do exceedingly well after taking over a side that finished at the bottom in the previous season. For the the Iyer-Ricky Ponting pair, the task would be to ensure their players put behind the crushing defeat in their last game and channel their energies to fight the fires that have erupted particularly in the bowling line-up, where Arshdeep Singh is carrying extra pressure. The absence of Marco Jansen and unavailability of IPL's highest-ever wicket-taker in Yuzvendra Chahal was evident when PBKS scrambled to find options to apply pressure on a spicy wicket in Mullanpur against RCB. But at the same time, PBKS camp could feel that that 'one bad day', collectively for their batters and especially in the knockouts, is now behind them and that it did not rob them of an opportunity to make the final. PBKS would also know the margin of error is getting leaner looking at how Rohit Sharma pulverised GT's bowling attack and set up the win for MI, riding on a couple of early lifelines to produce a match-winning knock. A holistic view would perhaps leave one without spotting any chink in Mumbai Indians' armour who have fired on all cylinders. They would continue to lean on their rich blend of Indian players including Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Pandya to come together. MI will also be particularly pleased with how their new recruits Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson eased into the heat of the competition to deliver their bits, which at the end, proved vital in crushing GT on a batting-friendly pitch. After all, the outcome of the contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium could well be decided over how the two bowling attacks execute their plans since the surfaces here have regularly produced high-scoring games. Jasprit Bumrah's exploits and a clever deployment of the ace Indian bowler across the 20 overs have been one of MI's biggest strengths this season. While Bumrah's accuracy and guile has not allowed the batters to score runs off him easily, PBKS would also want to draw from their win over MI earlier this season when despite his measly returns, they were able to go over the line with seven wickets in hand. Suryakumar's unmatched consistency with the bat met with a sparkling knock from Tilak Varma against the Titans but for PBKS, it will be important to have their explosive opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya finding their rhythm to set the tone. Teams (from): Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Bevon Jacobs, Robin Minz (wk), Krishnan Shrijith (wk), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Satyanarayana Raju, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Raghu Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Richard Gleeson, Charith Asalanka. Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Kyle Jamieson. Match starts at 7:30PM IST.
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Punjab Kings face stern test against rampant Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2
A rampant Mumbai Indians will present a stern test of character for a rattled Punjab Kings in a virtual semifinal when the two teams face off in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League here on Sunday. An eight-wicket hammering at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a one-sided Qualifier 1 may have eroded some amount of confidence in Shreyas Iyer's Punjab Kings, who are now in a do-or-die situation as they dream of winning a maiden IPL trophy. On the other hand, Mumbai Indians took another stride towards a potential sixth title with a comprehensive victory, which knocked out title favourites Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Seniors Are Snapping Up This TV Box, We Explain! Techno Mag Learn More History tells Mumbai Indians know their way around these lanes of IPL knockouts better than either of the other two teams left in the competition and that certainly tilt the scales in favour of Hardik Pandya's side. But coach Mahela Jayawardene's challenge would be to keep his troops organised which the former Sri Lankan captain has been able to do exceedingly well after taking over a side that finished at the bottom in the previous season. Live Events For the the Iyer-Ricky Ponting pair, the task would be to ensure their players put behind the crushing defeat in their last game and channel their energies to fight the fires that have erupted particularly in the bowling line-up, where Arshdeep Singh is carrying extra pressure. The absence of Marco Jansen and unavailability of IPL's highest-ever wicket-taker in Yuzvendra Chahal was evident when PBKS scrambled to find options to apply pressure on a spicy wicket in Mullanpur against RCB. But at the same time, PBKS camp could feel that that 'one bad day', collectively for their batters and especially in the knockouts, is now behind them and that it did not rob them of an opportunity to make the final. PBKS would also know the margin of error is getting leaner looking at how Rohit Sharma pulverised GT's bowling attack and set up the win for MI, riding on a couple of early lifelines to produce a match-winning knock. A holistic view would perhaps leave one without spotting any chink in Mumbai Indians' armour who have fired on all cylinders. They would continue to lean on their rich blend of Indian players including Rohit, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Pandya to come together. MI will also be particularly pleased with how their new recruits Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson eased into the heat of the competition to deliver their bits, which at the end, proved vital in crushing GT on a batting-friendly pitch. After all, the outcome of the contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium could well be decided over how the two bowling attacks execute their plans since the surfaces here have regularly produced high-scoring games. Jasprit Bumrah's exploits and a clever deployment of the ace Indian bowler across the 20 overs have been one of MI's biggest strengths this season. While Bumrah's accuracy and guile has not allowed the batters to score runs off him easily, PBKS would also want to draw from their win over MI earlier this season when despite his measly returns, they were able to go over the line with seven wickets in hand. Suryakumar's unmatched consistency with the bat met with a sparkling knock from Tilak Varma against the Titans but for PBKS, it will be important to have their explosive opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya finding their rhythm to set the tone. Teams (from): Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Bevon Jacobs, Robin Minz (wk), Krishnan Shrijith (wk), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Satyanarayana Raju, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Raghu Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Richard Gleeson, Charith Asalanka. Punjab Kings: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Pyla Avinash, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Harpreet Brar, Azmatullah Omarzai, Priyansh Arya, Aaron Hardie, Musheer Khan, Suryansh Shedge, Mitch Owen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Kuldeep Sen, Xavier Bartlett, Pravin Dubey, Kyle Jamieson. Match starts at 7:30PM IST.
Hindustan Times
31 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Jasprit Bumrah dubbed 'cheat code' as Ashwin cites Road Rash: 'He makes captain look better than he actually is'
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dubbed Jasprit Bumrah the 'cheat code' after the pacer led Mumbai Indians to a win over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Eliminator. Mumbai Indians, the five-time champions, progressed to Qualifier 2 after registering a 20-run win in Mullanpur. For the majority of the contest, the Shubman Gill-led side threatened to chase down 229 but Jasprit Bumrah came up with a brilliant four-over spell, conceding just 27 runs at an economy of less than seven runs per over. Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan put on 84 runs for the third wicket. It was Bumrah who ended the crucial partnership as he rattled the stumps of Sundar in the 14th over, dismissing him for 48. The left-handed batter had no answers to a toe-crushing yorker and as a result, he was sent back to the pavilion. Lauding Bumrah, Ashwin said that the pacer sometimes makes the captain look better than he actually is. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya also admitted to being in a position of luxury by having a bowler like Bumrah in the team. "This game could have gone even closer if Jasprit Bumrah's over didn't happen. The asking rate was like 12, 13, 14 but he gave like 7 or 8 runs in his last two overs. Rahul Tewatia hit him for a six but still, the way he came back and gave one run in the next two balls, that defines Bumrah. I had tweeted during the T20 World Cup that Bumrah is a cheat code in today's T20 cricket. Have you ever played this road rash, NFS game? It's a cheat code," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel 'Ash Ki Baat'. "If you play these games, you can enter a code, and you can run faster. You can beat everyone else. It's a cheat code. In today's world, as a captain, sometimes I feel Jasprit Bumrah makes a captain look better than they actually are. The way he nails those yorkers, changes up his slower balls, all that said and done, I think Mumbai also went to yorkers very early," he added. Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah refuses to listen to Jayawardene, tells MI coach to calm down Bumrah has been the standout performer for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 season, taking 18 wickets. Time and time again, he has stood up for the franchise when the team has been in a difficult position. However, Ashwin urged fans not to compare him with Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall as he is not a fan of comparing cricketers from different generations. "I have never seen Malcolm Marshall's bowling. But, I have heard a lot about him. I have seen Wasim Akram's bowling. He has given nightmares to the Indian team. But, this comparison across generations is a very wrong thing to do. In today's world, in Indian cricket, in the landscape in which we consider batsmen to be great people, I am so, so happy," said Ashwin. "I am talking in my own language because everyone sees this. Otherwise, I would have been a little more free-flowing. I am so, so, so happy for Jasprit Bumrah. Jasprit Bumrah has definitely given phillip for Indian fast bowlers to run in a long way and bowl with smartness, with solid execution. Jasprit Bumrah, the bowler, has won. But, what he has done to the community of bowling in India, especially fast bowling, is another topic altogether," he added. Mumbai Indians will now take on Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, June 1.
