ESPN obtains equity stake in PLL with five-year media rights deal

ESPN is going all-in on the Premier Lacrosse League.

The network announced on Wednesday that it has signed a five-year media rights deal with the PLL which will begin in the 2026 season. The deal also includes a minority equity investment by ESPN into the league, which is uncommon but not entirely unprecedented. Warner Bros. Discovery, for instance, is a key investor in the new 3-on-3 women’s basketball league Unrivaled.

The agreement marks a continuation of ESPN’s relationship with PLL, which began in 2022 after the league’s three-year stint with NBC. ESPN will continue to be home to all PLL regular season, All-Star, Playoff, and Championship games. Notably, the deal also includes rights to the Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League.

Every PLL and WLL game will stream live on ESPN+, with select games to air on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2.

“We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with the Premier Lacrosse League and expand our commitment to the ascendant sport by bringing the recently launched Women’s Lacrosse League to ESPN,” ESPN programming executive Rosalyn Durant said in a release. “This renewal reflects our dedication to showcasing the best in lacrosse, growing the game across all levels, and delivering world-class competition to fans year-round.”

This season, ABC will air seven PLL regular season games along with the championship. In total, 18 PLL games are airing across ESPN’s linear platforms. Currently, PLL games are averaging 277,000 viewers on ESPN’s networks, per Sports Business Journal.

SBJ also reports the new deal includes an increase in the league’s media rights fee.

For upstart leagues like PLL and WLL, having the backing of an ESPN can help propel the league forward. Does a broadcaster holding a direct equity stake in a league create some conflicts of interest? Absolutely. Don’t expect ESPN’s coverage of PLL to be anything other than celebratory.

But, to be fair, most niche leagues are covered like that in the first place. These broadcasts are to serve the core audience first and foremost, and those viewers already love the product. Unless the PLL has some crazy scandal, it’s not like much about ESPN’s coverage would actually change. Just expect the PLL to be featured and promoted more across ESPN’s other properties now that the network has skin in the game.