The 2026 AUSL championship became the most-watched professional softball game on record, as the softball league continued to report strong viewership in its second season.
The championship game between the Utah Talons and Chicago Bandits averaged 732,000 viewers on ABC Sunday, a record for a softball game. The game was the first professional softball game to air on broadcast television.
Overall, according to Sports Business Journal, ESPN games averaged 375,000 viewers, up 150% from last year. Games also aired on MLB Network and CBS Sports Network.
"It just continued to build, crowds grew, ratings grew as the season went, and sponsor activation grew as we went as well," Athletes Unlimited co-founder and CEO Jon Patricof told Sports Business Journal.
The AUSL made a notable change for the 2026 season, moving teams back to their home markets after they toured in 2025. The league recorded 25 sellouts in 2026, with the Portland Cascades accounting for nearly half.
#business #journal
The championship game between the Utah Talons and Chicago Bandits averaged 732,000 viewers on ABC Sunday, a record for a softball game. The game was the first professional softball game to air on broadcast television.
Overall, according to Sports Business Journal, ESPN games averaged 375,000 viewers, up 150% from last year. Games also aired on MLB Network and CBS Sports Network.
"It just continued to build, crowds grew, ratings grew as the season went, and sponsor activation grew as we went as well," Athletes Unlimited co-founder and CEO Jon Patricof told Sports Business Journal.
The AUSL made a notable change for the 2026 season, moving teams back to their home markets after they toured in 2025. The league recorded 25 sellouts in 2026, with the Portland Cascades accounting for nearly half.
#business #journal
3 months ago
