Major League Volleyball Hires First Commissioner
Major League Volleyball has appointed Jaime Weston as its first-ever Commissioner. The move marks a key moment for the professional women's volleyball league as it enters its third season and aims for broader growth in the U.S.
Jaime Weston brings a hefty resume to the new role, having previously served as a marketing executive at the NFL for over 15 years and as the Chief Commercial Officer for USA Volleyball. Her experience in building brand strategy for a major sports league is a key asset for Major League Volleyball's growth ambitions. The league itself is the result of a recent merger between two emerging professional leagues, the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) and a startup also named Major League Volleyball. This unified league, now branded as MLV, is heading into what is considered its third season, building on the foundation of the PVF. The PVF's inaugural season in 2024 saw immediate fan interest, with its first-ever match between the Atlanta Vibe and the Omaha Supernovas drawing a record 11,624 fans. The league's initial season attracted nearly 400,000 fans in total, with an average home match attendance of 4,608. On the broadcast side, the PVF All-Star Match on CBS reached a peak viewership of 445,000. For comparison, some League One Volleyball (LOVB) matches, another professional women's league, have seen viewerships around 134,000 on ESPN2. This highlights the growing, and competitive, media landscape for the sport. The league is in a growth phase, with plans to add teams in Washington D.C. and Northern California in 2027. This expansion is backed by notable investors, including Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings. Player compensation has been a point of emphasis, with salaries in the inaugural season ranging from $60,000 to $125,000, and top salaries for the upcoming season set to reach $175,000, plus benefits. The establishment of a stable professional league is a significant step for a sport that has seen previous attempts, like the original Major League Volleyball (1987-1989) and the United States Professional Volleyball League (2002), ultimately fold. The current momentum in women's sports, with NCAA volleyball viewership also on the rise, provides a promising backdrop for Major League Volleyball's ambitions to solidify its place in the American professional sports landscape.
