ESPN’s Legacy of Introducing New Sports Leagues Continues with TGL and LOVB Launches

This week, ESPN platforms are presenting back-to-back league debuts. TGL, the innovative TMRW Golf League, teed off Tuesday night in primetime on ESPN, while LOVB, the new League One Volleyball women’s professional league, begins tonight with the historic LOVB First Serve (Salt Lake facing Atlanta) at Gateway Center Arena in Center Park, Ga., at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.  
 
“ESPN has a long tradition of introducing new leagues to fans, showcasing our commitment to innovation and expanding the sports landscape,” said Brent Colborne, Vice President, ESPN Programming & Acquisitions. “We’re thrilled to debut TGL and LOVB this week, two groundbreaking properties that exemplify the future of the two sports and the passion of their athletes and fans.”
 
These debuts are just the latest examples of new sports leagues and events premiering on ESPN platforms – something that has been a part of ESPN’s programming history since the original network launch in 1979.

In fact, ESPN has a rich tradition of debuting new leagues for more than four decades across a variety of sports. 
 
Notable league debuts on ESPN include: 

• USFL (1983): The United States Football League – which featured future Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Reggie White and Steve Young, among other top players – kicked off its inaugural season with ESPN, bringing spring football to life and captivating audiences. 
  

  

  

• Arena Football (1987): ESPN exclusively aired live national coverage of five Arena Football games during the league’s inaugural summer season. The league featured unique rules, including eight-man teams playing both offense and defense, 40-foot-high nets behind each end zone, and the introduction of the drop kick extra point (worth two points) and field goal (worth four points).
• WRHL (1993): ESPN provided exclusive coverage of the World Roller Hockey League’s inaugural season, broadcasting all 25 regular-season games and post-season action, including the best-of-five championship series. The games, played in May at a specially constructed roller hockey rink and stadium at Disney-MGM Studios near Orlando, Florida, aired weekday afternoons throughout the summer.
• MLS (1996): Following America’s successful 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer debuted two years later on ESPN as top-tier professional soccer returned to the U.S. ESPN was a league broadcaster for MLS’s first 27 years and presented many milestone events for the sport in this country.
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Happy anniversary, @MLS!

25 years ago today, the league debuted on ESPN. This was the intro from @PhilSchoen and Ty Keough in 1996.

ESPN2 has an 8-hr programming marathon tonight to celebrate #MLS25: https://t.co/u3eBfHpr87 pic.twitter.com/w2zxQFwZwE

— bill hofheimer (@bhofheimer_espn) April 6, 2020



• WNBA (1997): Though ESPN did not air the first game in league history (NBC did), it has been a league broadcaster since the WNBA’s inception – now 28 seasons. ESPN has played an instrumental role in amplifying the league’s presence and the sport.
• TBT (2015): The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the single-elimination, winner-take-all, open-application tournament launched in 2014 and reached its first-ever television agreement in 2015 with ESPN, which resulted in TBT expanding nationally to a 96-team field. 
• XFL (2020): The reimagined XFL spring football league captured fan interest with its bold innovations, including unique, new rules, behind-the-scenes access to coaches and players, and live in-game audio, all with ESPN’s support.
• UFL (2024): Spring football returned to ESPN (and FOX) with the launch of the United Football League, which officially merged the rival XFL and USFL. The new concept – whose second season begins March 30 –showcases exciting twists on traditional football while bringing fans closer to the game through unique access.
• WLL (2025): This year, ESPN will debut the Women’s Lacrosse League, marking a major milestone for women’s lacrosse. The league’s launch in February reflects the growing popularity of lacrosse. Competing in the Olympic Sixes format, the WLL will feature four teams: the Boston Guard, New York Charging, Maryland Charm, and California Palms.

 
In addition to the above list, ESPN continues to provide a platform for a variety of growing sports properties – lacrosse, pickleball, softball, surfing and more, while delivering unique stories and generating fan interest.