New Pro Sports Venture Puts Women’s Sports in the Players’ Hands

Patricof, a former president of New York City F.C., and his fellow founder, Jonathan Soros, envisioned Athletes Unlimited as a new model for professional sports leagues, one that emulated fantasy sports leagues and catered to fans with more of an affinity for individual athletes than teams.

“We didn’t want to follow in the model that had worked for men’s sports,” Patricof said in a telephone interview, adding that he and Soros initially considered investing in an existing women’s team, possibly in the W.N.B.A. or the National Women’s Soccer League. “We believe this is the new age of fandom, a fluid fandom.”

So they instead started creating the new leagues — with softball starting in August and indoor volleyball coming in 2021 — in which the athletes are at the forefront of all decision making. The model prioritizes individual athleticism and in-house storytelling over the traditional infrastructure of team sports.

Each season will take place in one location. Teams are not tied to any one city, and players are not under contract with any one team. Players can earn points based on both their team and individual performances, and will be ranked accordingly. Lineups will change each week, with the top four players becoming captains who can draft new teams.

There are no team owners, and league investors are capping their returns. Athletes will share in the league profits, be involved in the daily decision making and call the shots in content creation.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/08/sports/athletes-unlimited-pro-womens-sports.html