AUSL: The WNBA of Softball Has Arrived & Is Backed by MLB...
The partnership provides financial support, MLB marketing resources, and broadcast time dedicated to women's sports
Softball is booming and stepping into a new era with a first of its kind league, The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). Launching June 7th, AUSL is a women's professional softball league in the United States. It’s not just about the game though, this new league gives star college players the chance to extend their careers, compete at the highest level, and be front and centre in a system that puts athletes first.
AUSL isn’t totally new. Athletes Unlimited has been around since 2020, with its innovative, leaderboard-based model, where players earn points individually rather than on their set teams. But in 2025, it’s evolving into a traditional team-based league, beginning with four teams in a touring format that spans 10 cities over 24 games. Each series brings new team drafts, giving fans the chance to watch the best athletes play with and against each other in constantly shifting matchups.
MLB’s backing is more than financial, they will help the AUSL with operational costs and growth efforts, but it also plans to use its full marketing machine, broadcast platforms (MLB Network, MLB.TV), digital ecosystem, and cultural capital to help raise AUSL’s profile.
“We’re leaning in on all parts of our business to make this a sustainable league.”
Tony Reagins, MLB chief baseball development officer
MLB backing AUSL is a big deal. For women’s sport, that’s a game-changing statement, It’s a move that says: we see this sport, we believe in it, and we’re backing it. Not just for the players, but for what it signals to young fans, it shows that softball can be more than just a seasonal school sport. It can be a real path, a profession, and a platform.
The WNBA was the fastest- growing brand in professional sports in 2024 and they have the perfect playbook for AUSL to follow. In the last few years, they’ve gone from niche to must-watch, not just because of basketball but because of how the players are positioned. The players have to become cultural figures, when researchers asked fans their favourite athlete, the WNBA’s Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark received more mentions than any other athlete—women or man, including LeBron James, Steph Curry, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Josh Allen.
It seems like Athletes Unlimited might be taking a page from that playbook, utilising eight current AUSL athletes in the biggest softball marketing campaign till date, “This is Legendary”, featuring two players from each of the AUSL’s four teams including Maya Brady, niece of former American football player Tom Brady and former Major League Baseball player Kevin Youkilis.
As the league moves from a touring model to a city-based league in 2026, it has the opportunity to create deep local fanbases, something WNBA teams like the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces have done exceptionally well.
But the long-term success won’t come from the scoreboard alone. It’ll come from giving fans access to who these players are; their stories, routines, values, and voices. That’s how the AUSL can build a deep connection with its fanbase and integrate into build culture. The AUSL is stepping into that space at just the right time. With the right platform and the right storytelling, this league could do for softball what the WNBA has done for basketball.