Major League Volleyball Hires First Commissioner

Major League Volleyball is the result of a 2025 merger between two emerging professional leagues, the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) and a new entity also named Major League Volleyball. This unified league, which records the 2026 campaign as its third season, aims to create a stable and high-level professional pathway for women's volleyball in the United States. The league is backed by a formidable group of investors with deep ties to professional sports, including Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé and the DeVos family, who own the Orlando Magic. Other prominent figures include three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings, recording artist Jason Derulo, and Theresia Gouw, a venture capitalist with stakes in the NFL's Buffalo Bills and the NWSL's Bay FC. Jaime Weston brings a wealth of experience to the commissioner role, having spent over 15 years as a marketing executive at the NFL and most recently serving as the Chief Commercial Officer for USA Volleyball. Her background also includes leadership positions at Universal Music Group and the live events company On Location. The league is tapping into the surging popularity of women's volleyball. At the high school level, volleyball is the top team sport for girls, with over 470,000 participants in the 2022-23 school year. This enthusiasm is mirrored in viewership, with the 2023 NCAA championship match drawing an average of 1.7 million viewers, a 115% increase from the previous year. For its 2026 season, Major League Volleyball features eight teams: the Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Dallas Pulse, Grand Rapids Rise, Indy Ignite, Omaha Supernovas, Orlando Valkyries, and San Diego Mojo. The league has ambitious expansion plans, with teams in Northern California and Washington D.C. set to join in 2027. Fans can watch the action across a variety of platforms. The league has broadcast agreements with CBS Sports, Roku Sports Channel, ION, and VICE. The MLV championship semifinals and final will air on ION, while the All-Star Match will be broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+. Additionally, select matches will be available for streaming on Samsung TV Plus, and all other games are streamed on the league's YouTube channel.