Overview
- The AUSL wrapped its 2026 season this past weekend with the Utah Talons sweeping the Chicago Bandits to repeat as champions.
- Game 1 of the championship series averaged 732,000 viewers on ABC, marking the highest TV audience on record for a professional softball game.
- League leaders reported large year-over-year gains across platforms, including a reported 150% rise in ESPN ratings, roughly 25 sellouts, and a 110% jump in merchandise sales.
- Commissioner Kim Ng and CEO Jon Patricof said the league will keep six city-based teams for 2027 while weighing modest schedule increases and pursuing more commercial partners and outside investment.
- The AUSL’s move from a touring model to full-time home markets this season and wider national distribution on ESPN, MLB Network and CBS Sports Network have raised the league’s visibility as it positions itself ahead of softball’s return to the 2028 Olympics.