• by Tanya Gazdik , June 1, 2025

Major League Baseball has signed on as a major investor of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the women's professional softball league set to debut in June. 

“MLB and the AUSL announced a wide-ranging partnership on Thursday, marking MLB’s first investment in a women's professional sports league,” according to USA Today. “The partnership coincides with an exciting time in the sport — not only is the 2025 Women’s College World Series set to begin Thursday, softball is set to make its Olympic return in Los Angeles in 2028.”

It is reported to be an eight-figure deal.

“The professional softball landscape has historically been fragmented and shaky,” according to Sports Illustrated. “But as the sport has grown on the youth and college levels over the last few years—against the backdrop of a larger swell in women’s sports—MLB became increasingly interested in growing its involvement here. It weighed the idea of starting its own softball league. But it decided instead to invest in the existing start-up Athletes Unlimited.”

The four-team league will compete this summer, with MLB airing several games on its platforms.

“Through MLB’s investment for an undisclosed amount, it will support the league’s operational costs and major growth initiatives,” according to The Washington Post. “It hopes to bolster the nascent league’s visibility through several MLB platforms, including airing some AUSL games on MLB.com and the MLB Network — which will broadcast one of its two Opening Day games next Saturday.”

Kim Ng, a former Miami Marlins executive who in 2020 became the first female general manager in MLB, was named the commissioner of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League last month.

“MLB was encouraged by growth of the WNBA, National Women's Soccer League and NCAA women's basketball,”  according to Newsday. “MLB hasn't ruled out later involvement in women's baseball.”

MLB will assist with content, marketing and sales, events, distribution, editorial, and digital and social platforms, according to Newsday. Support will include marketing the AUSL and its athletes during MLB's All-Star Game and throughout the postseason along with broadcasts on the MLB Network and streams on MLB.TV.

“What’s really exciting about this is us committing not just a financial investment but resources and our time and sort of the power that is MLB," MLB chief marketing officer Uzma Rawn Dowler said.