Athletes Unlimited Partners With ESPN For Upcoming Volleyball Season

Athletes Unlimited Volleyball announced today it will be exclusively partnering with ESPN in 2023 for all 30 matches of its upcoming third volleyball season. While Athletes Unlimited would not discuss the deal’s terms, the new broadcasting agreement is one of multiple changes Athletes Unlimited is making to improve its visibility across the country.

In addition to joining forces with ESPN, Athletes Unlimited is also moving its five-week season to the fall, playing concurrently with the NCAA in October and November. Athletes Unlimited CEO Jon Patricof looks at the deal as a way to tap into ESPN’s increased focus on volleyball, which drew a record 1.19 million viewers for the 2021 NCAA women’s finals.

“The move to the fall will bring with it significant opportunity via the new relationship with ESPN, as well as aligning with the college volleyball season when fan attention and engagement around volleyball is at its height,” Patricof said.

A New Exhibition Tour

Athletes Unlimited is using the vacated spring season to schedule a 10-match exhibition tour. The tour will include stops at NCAA Division 1 powerhouses like the University of Minnesota, University of Texas and Penn State University. Cassidy Lichtman, Athletes Unlimited’s head of volleyball, says the exhibition matches will increase awareness with its intended audience.

“We know there’s a massive volleyball fanbase in the U.S., and the exhibition tour allows us to reach those fans who might not know us yet or may not be aware of professional volleyball,” Lichtman said. “We want those people who are invested in the game and the players at the youth and collegiate level to know that they can continue to watch and support those athletes at the professional level as well. We’re also always thinking about how to expand and provide more opportunities for our athletes so this gives us a way to give some of our players a chance to play before the fall season.”

This announcement follows Athletes Unlimited’s $30 million funding round in September, which included investments from Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35 Ventures, as well as softball star Angela Ruggiero.