ESPN has acquired a minority stake within the Premier Lacrosse League and has prolonged its media rights settlement for an additional 5 years.
The deal begins with the 2026 season and encompasses all Premier Lacrosse League common season, All-Star, Playoff and Championship video games, Maybelline Girls’s Lacrosse League video games, in addition to future PLL and WLL Drafts.
Alongside the multi-year settlement, ESPN has additionally made a minority fairness funding within the PLL, recognizing important development potential within the PLL’s forward-thinking strategy and dedication to innovation.
Particulars in regards to the measurement of the stake or the valuation for the league on account of it weren’t disclosed.
“This partnership marks a historic second for the PLL and WLL. ESPN’s renewed dedication, together with their funding, speaks volumes about the way forward for lacrosse,” mentioned PLL Co-Founder and President Paul Rabil. “Collectively, we’re not solely bringing one of the best in skilled lacrosse to extra followers, extra usually, however we’re constructing a mannequin for the way fashionable sports activities leagues can develop – with fairness, innovation, and entry on the middle.”
In a latest interview with Deadline, Rabil talked in regards to the league’s media rights in addition to his new Omaha Productions present, Rabil’s Locations and the PLL’s outlook for the Summer time Olympics in 2028, when lacrosse will probably be an illustration sport.
“This renewed partnership with ESPN is a serious milestone for the continued rise of each the PLL and WLL,” mentioned Mike Rabil, Co-Founder and CEO of the Premier Lacrosse League. “It underscores the momentum behind each our males’s and girls’s leagues and the demand from a rising, passionate fanbase — unlocking new alternatives for our gamers, companions, and followers alike.”
All PLL and WLL video games will stream on ESPN+, with choose video games additionally introduced throughout ABC, ESPN and ESPN2.
Rosalyn Durant, Government Vice President, ESPN Programming & Acquisitions, mentioned: “We’re thrilled to proceed our relationship with the Premier Lacrosse League and increase our dedication to the ascendant sport by bringing the lately launched Girls’s Lacrosse League to ESPN. This renewal displays our dedication to showcasing one of the best in lacrosse, rising the sport throughout all ranges, and delivering world-class competitors to followers year-round.”
