During last year’s Softball World Series, an average of more than 1.1 million viewers watched all 15 games on ESPN, up 2% from the previous year, while the more than 2 million who watched each game of the finals was the championship round’s largest audience ever. Softball had its most-watched regular season since 2015, with increased viewership across the board.
Increasingly, AU Softball is where talent from that tournament ends up domestically. In the AUSL’s first-ever ad, former Florida Gator, 2015 Women’s College Softball World Series champ, and MLB TV guest host Aleshia Ocasio makes her debut as a member of the Blaze. Odicci Alexander led James Madison to its first-ever World Series in 2021 and received a standing ovation from Oklahoma Sooners fans during her final game that year. She now wears the Bandits’ colors.
For Dowler, one of the bigger benefits of the MLB agreement is amplifying the plays and accomplishments of players fans already love.
“We’re definitely looking to grow and help foster that talent and allow young girls and women to aspire to be the next great professional women’s softball player,” Dowler said. “The immediate focus is on helping expand access and visibility and opportunities for young girls and women, but we also believe a stronger softball ecosystem can drive meaningful engagement across the board and drive tandem and hopefully eventually commercial success.”
AUSL gets to test that theory during its Opening Day on June 7 as it hosts its first games in Rosemont, Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas. The Wichita game will air exclusively on MLB Network and MLB.TV, and former professional softball player and Gold Glove-winning MLB Network host AJ Andrews will be on the ground in Rosemont on June 6 and 7, gathering interviews for the MLB Tonight pregame show.
Reagins has spent roughly a decade building a pipeline for athletes to have an opportunity to advance through junior college, college, and into the professional ranks. He helped MLB build youth academy programs to help girls and women advance in softball as far as the league could take them, and now sees Athletes Unlimited’s work—and that of his former colleague Ng—as an extension of that plan.
“A pipeline is really important because that means sustainability, that means long-term health, and long-term growth,” Reagins said. “Athletes Unlimited softball allows us to continue that growth and grow our arc upward.”