Rachel Garcia warms up during an Athletes Unlimited Pro game last August. Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images
Major League Baseball is tossing its support behind a new professional women's softball league.
State of play: MLB today announced an investment in the soon-to-launch Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
It's "an undisclosed amount for operational costs and a commitment to help it gain visibility. MLB will assist with content, marketing and sales, events, distribution, editorial, and digital and social platforms," AP reported.
Zoom in: Former Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng is the league's commissioner.
"MLB said it will also air select AUSL games on MLB Network and MLB.TV," CNBC reported.
Inside the room: "Athletes Unlimited is a women's sports organization that owns and operates a collection of professional sports under one brand, with basketball, volleyball and softball," Bloomberg reported.
Its founders are Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros, son of billionaire George Soros.
The bottom line: MLB lacks what the NBA has with the WNBA and would like to generate interest in a professional version of a sport that already has a burgeoning audience at the collegiate level.
