Paul Rabil on PLL's New ESPN Deal, League Growth, and Sports Media Landscape

PLL's Growth and ESPN Partnership

• 🚀 The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) has signed a new 5-year broadcast deal with ESPN, which also became a minority owner.
• 💡 Paul Rabil highlights that pro sports are an amazing asset class with enterprise value across media, partnerships, live events, and youth engagement.
• 🎯 The PLL has focused on creating an entertaining product, building on a sport with a thousand-year history.

Sports Media Landscape Shifts

• 📉 The traditional pay TV model has declined significantly, with household penetration dropping from 80% in 2011 to 34% today.
• 📺 Conversely, connected TVs have surged, now in 88% of homes, acting as the modern TV guide and enabling easier content discovery.
• 📈 Streaming viewership has recently surpassed broadcast and cable viewership combined, indicating a major shift in how audiences consume content.

PLL's Recent Performance and Championship Weekend

• 📈 The PLL has experienced significant growth, with viewership up 55% on ABC and 81% on ESPN.
• 🌟 The league achieved its largest All-Star game viewership ever, up 115% year-over-year.
• 🎟️ Ticket sales are up 11%, sponsorship 20%, and merchandise 10%.
• 🏆 Championship weekend is anticipated to be a major event, with games broadcast on ABC.