Lovb Austin Middle Blocker Molly McCage (5) spikes the ball past Lovb Houston outside Jess Mruzik (5) at Heb Center in Cedar Park, Texas.
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Comcast Spinoff Versant has signed a multi-year media rights deal with League One volleyball, the company announced Tuesday.
Versant’s USA Network will air exclusively the league’s “match of the week” on Primetime every Wednesday at 8pm, in addition to league playoffs and championship games. This deal comes when women’s sports, especially volleyball, saw a huge increase in popularity.
The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. ESPN also holds LOVB broadcasting rights.
“It’s about growth that I think they’re ahead of the line as a league and for volleyball as a sport,” said Matt Hong, Versant’s sports president. “We saw a common vision, how we can lend assets. It will complement what they do to grow their sport.”
The LOVB deal marks Versant’s second sports rights deal, scheduled to be spin-off from Comcast in 2026. In August, Versant and NBCuniversal announced a six-year contract with the American Golf Association. The transaction is worth around $95 million a year, according to people familiar with the contract, who spoke about non-public terms on condition of anonymity.
Hong said the company began negotiating with LOVB a few months ago. The agreement will be added to Versant’s existing women’s sports rights, including over 500 hours of LPGA coverage and future media rights each year at the WNBA from 2026.
For LOVB, this deal means millions of eyeballs in the coveted prime time slot.
“With Versant’s commitment, women’s volleyball has a suitable platform. We have consistent national primetime coverage that reflects the athlete’s caliber and the passion of the fans.”
Volleyball on almost every level is found in large gatherings. Overall, Bolleyball’s participation increased by 6.7% in 2024, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. At the high school level, over 479,000 girls participated in volleyball during the 2023-24 season, a record high, according to the National State High School Federation Association.
College volleyball is also rising sharply. According to the network, the 2024 Women’s NCAA Volleyball Tournament was the most consumed for ESPN, with over 1.3 billion minutes being viewed on the platform. Audiences across the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament were 41% higher than last year, ESPN said. And when the Nebraska Huskers women’s team played against the Omahammer Verix in 2023, more than 92,000 fans were present.
Featuring both youth and professional leagues, Lovb started in 2020. The professional league, featuring a group of players with 23 gold medals, began its first season in January.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCuniversal, which owns CNBC. Bersant will become CNBC’s new parent company with the Bersant spin-off planned by Comcast.
