The GIST: Yesterday, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) officially debuted its "This is Legendary" campaign ad, which the league describes as the largest marketing initiative for pro softball in the U.S. The star-studded spot will air across ESPN networks to promote the new league, which tips off June 7th.
The campaign: AUSL partnered with Chicago-based Dame Creative for an ad featuring eight of the league’s most popular players, including Maya Brady (yes, Tom Brady’s niece) and Odicci Alexander. The spot will play through spring and summer across ESPN networks and national digital media.
The network: ESPN has recently become a softball haven through two extensive media rights deals. Last January, the network inked an eight-year extension to air 40 NCAA championship tournaments, including the Women’s College World Series (WCWS). A month later, ESPN signed a multiyear media rights agreement with AU to broadcast its softball competitions.
The opportunity: ESPN has been cashing in on softball’s rising viewership. In 2024, the network enjoyed its most-watched NCAA regular season since 2015 and the most-viewed WCWS Finals ever with 2M viewers. The Finals, which saw a 24% YoY viewership boost, also saw its female viewership rise to 44% (up from 40% in 2023).
Zooming out: As Pixar’s Win Or Lose original series illustrates, softball is becoming an increasingly popular sport among younger generations. Viewership among women and young men has been on the rise, the latter of which helped to propel the WCWS to its record-breaking numbers in recent years.
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