ESPN Renews Deal with Athletes Unlimited to Air Professional Women’s Basketball, Softball, Lacrosse, Volleyball
As part of the deal, ESPN+ will get more than 10 events every year to stream exclusively.
ESPN is staying in the business of broadcasting professional women’s sports from Athletes Unlimited. As announced by both companies, ESPN and AU have agreed to a multiyear rights agreement that begins in 2024 and will see more than 70 AU sporting events including basketball, softball, lacrosse, and volleyball broadcast on ESPN channels and streamed on ESPN+.
- ESPN’s deal with AU includes basketball games for the first time.
- A total of 71 AU events will air on ESPN linear networks and stream on ESPN+.
- ESPN provides a wide range of women’s college and professional sports.
AU first made its way to ESPN's airwaves in 2022, but the original deal only encompassed lacrosse and softball. The new deal encompasses all four Athletes Unlimited leagues, incorporating basketball and volleyball and making all four AU sports available on ESPN platforms for the first time.
Athletes Unlimited events scored impressive increases in viewership across ESPN platforms in 2023, including a 25% year-over-year increase for AU Pro Lacrosse on ESPN2 and ESPNU and a 38% year-over-year increase for AU Pro Softball on ESPNU. The new agreement will encompass a total of 71 events in 2024, including 57 intended for ESPN linear networks and 14 that will stream on ESPN+.
“ESPN has been absolutely crucial to the success of Athletes Unlimited, showcasing our amazing world-class athletes on the biggest global stage in sports,” said Jon Patricof, CEO and co-founder of AU. ESPN’s renewed and expanded commitment to Athletes Unlimited is both a validation of our business model as well as a testament to the growing popularity of these sports at the professional level. With all four of our pro women’s sports now featured on ESPN, we look forward to working with their incredible team to take Athletes Unlimited to even greater heights in the coming years to serve fans as well as brands looking to reach fans of women’s sports.”
Check out the schedule of AU events on ESPN platforms in 2024:
| Sport/Dates | Total Games (All Networks) | ESPN Linear Networks | ESPN+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU Pro Basketball (Feb/Mar) | 24 | – | 6 |
| AU Pro Softball AUX (June) | 18 | 18 | – |
| AU Pro Lacrosse (Jul/Aug) | 24 | 12 | – |
| AU Pro Softball (Jul/Aug) | 30 | 12 | 3 |
| AU Pro Volleyball (Oct/Nov) | 30 | 15 | 5 |
| Totals | 126 | 57 | 14 |
“We’re excited to showcase even more world-class female athletes through this new agreement with Athletes Unlimited as part of ESPN’s longstanding commitment to women’s sports,” said Dan Margulis, senior director at ESPN. “This agreement allows us to continue to showcase the sports we feature on the collegiate level – highlighting these athletes throughout college and into their professional careers. We look forward to presenting our debut season of AU Pro Basketball on ESPN platforms in addition to the popular league competitions that already exist in volleyball, softball and lacrosse.”
What Other Women’s Sports Are Available on ESPN?
The new deal with Athletes Unlimited expands ESPN’s already-impressive women’s sports selection. The network offers a wide range of WNBA games every regular season and shared exclusive coverage of the 2023 WNBA Finals with ABC.
ESPN also carries more than 3,000 college softball games every season, featuring top conferences and big-name schools. ESPN+ also streams thousands of women’s college soccer, basketball, and lacrosse games every year, making it one of the top streaming services available for watching women’s sports.
Fans of Athletes Unlimited will be excited to learn that they will continue to be able to watch professional lacrosse and softball on ESPN platforms, as well as basketball and volleyball thanks to the new deal between AU and ESPN. The schedule starts this month, when the AU Pro Basketball league tips off on Feb. 29.
ESPN+
ESPN+ is a live TV streaming service that gives access to thousands of live sporting events, original shows like Peyton’s Place, the entire library of 30 for 30, E:60, The Last Dance, as well exclusive written analysis from top ESPN insiders. Sports available on ESPN+ include NFL, MLB, NHL, UFC, College Football, F1, Bundesliga, PGA Tour, La Liga, and more.