OMAHA, Neb., Jan. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MLV Holdings, a newly formed investment group, today announced the launch of Major League Volleyball (MLV), a women’s professional volleyball league supported by over $100 million in committed funding. Launching in January 2026, MLV will feature 10 teams including the Omaha Supernovas, the leading franchise in professional volleyball.
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
“Our sport deserves the best of the best,” said Kerri Walsh Jennings, 3x Olympic Gold medalist and the most decorated volleyball athlete of all-time. “Our women are kick-ass individuals and athletes, and it is long overdue for there to be a product that resembles the biggest and brightest sports, media and entertainment platforms on the planet. This is the league I would have wished to play in, and the Supernovas are a standard for a pro team that I would have wanted to play for. Stay tuned!”
MLV is led by an impressive Founding Partner Group:
- Omaha Supernovas – Founding MLV Franchise. Omaha Supernovas set the gold standard globally in pro volleyball by winning the inaugural pro volleyball championship and setting numerous pro volleyball attendance records in back-to-back seasons. In 2025, the Supernovas will continue to focus on their season, captivating “NovasNation” fans playing as Nebraska’s Pro Volleyball team at CHI Health Center Omaha arena.
- Danny White – Founder of the Omaha Supernovas and MLV Founding Partner is a serial entrepreneur owning and operating a multitude of businesses across real estate development, car washing, health care, private aviation and several other sectors.
- Vivek Ranadivé – Owner and Chairman of the Sacramento Kings; Founder of Bow Capital and TIBCO software. He is an entrepreneur, technology visionary, best-selling author and philanthropist recognized for his innovative thinking.
- As an MLV Founding Partner, Ranadivé will provide incomparable expertise drawn from his operating experience leading the Kings and Golden 1 Center, an award-winning arena in downtown Sacramento that was named the best arena in the NBA by ESPN in 2024. Ranadivé will also own MLV’s Sacramento franchise.
- Jason Derulo – International superstar and entrepreneur, Partner in Omaha Supernovas, MLV Founding Partner.
- Kerri Walsh Jennings – 3x Olympic Gold Medalist, and the most decorated Volleyball Athlete and Olympic Volleyball Champion of all time, MLV Founding Partner.
- Benjamin Priest – Founder of Won Group, a venture studio created with NBA Champion and entrepreneur Kyle Kuzma, which has recently launched BAA in partnership with the iconic Will Smith. Priest, MLV Founding Partner, is also a former Formula 1 executive and entrepreneur. He has extensive commercial experience, architecting the commercial and regional growth of Formula 1 for over a decade on agency, league and team levels.
Other leading global agencies and founding advisors for MLV include:
- Someone Great
- Led by Mitch Grossbach, a decorated sports and entertainment executive and business partner with Kerri Walsh Jennings. Mitch and team will maximize Kerri’s impact on MLV initiatives for MLV and spearhead partnerships and franchise development.
- Talisman
- Led by Dharpan Randhawa, a former McLaren F1 & SPORTFIVE executive, Talisman is an award-winning sports marketing agency part of the Project Worldwide collective with presence in 42 markets globally and a network of 2,300 employees. Talisman is leading partnership and franchise business development for MLV.
- Hurrdat
- Led by Bill Hipsher, Hurrdat Sports is the marketing agency for record-breaking Omaha Supernovas and working with MLV across all founding stage marketing and PR.
MLV will launch with teams in Wisconsin, California, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Kansas, Ohio and Washington. Franchises will be independently owned and operated, with MLV creating ownership standards and operational playbooks to ensure major league standards are upheld at every level. By building on established grassroots programs, MLV aims to empower young women athletes and create a professional career path for the current and next generation of women’s volleyball.
Volleyball ranks among the top five most popular global sports with more than 800 million players and fans worldwide. Some supporting data points behind the growth include:
Omaha Supernovas Clinched Top 5 U.S. Pro Volleyball Attendance Records
- Within its inaugural season, Omaha Supernovas was the most record-setting professional women’s volleyball team in the history of the sport, setting all Top Five U.S. Pro Volleyball attendance records. They attracted 134,000 fans in-venue. The Omaha Supernovas vs. San Diego Mojo surpassed 1 million views on YouTube.
Nebraska Cornhusker Volleyball Set World Record for Women’s Sports Attendance
- The largest crowd ever to witness a women’s sports event filled Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska (home of Nebraska Cornhusker football) as 92,003 fans watched the five-time NCAA champion beat Omaha 3-0.
Nebraska Cornhusker Volleyball Redefined What’s Possible for Women’s Sports
- Regardless of Nebraska Cornhusker Volleyball’s World Attendance Record, the team redefined what’s possible for women’s sports. The 2024 Women’s NCAA Volleyball Tournament was the most-consumed ever, with 1.3 billion minutes watched across ESPN platforms, up 41% from 2023. The 2024 Women’s NCAA national championship match had 1.3 million viewers, making it the second most-watched title bout and third most-watched college volleyball match ever.
Women’s Volleyball popularity has given players opportunities to build their brands using their NIL rights to secure endorsements, sponsorships and other revenue-generating opportunities. From 2021 to 2024, women’s volleyball athlete compensation grew by 935%.
Olympics Transformed Volleyball Into Global Phenomenon; Kerri Walsh Jennings Icon
- The Olympics transformed women’s volleyball from regional activity into a global phenomenon, influencing not only the sport itself but also the perception of women’s
athletics worldwide.
Inspiring Role Models: Iconic players like Kerri Walsh Jennings (USA, beach volleyball) Mireya Luis (Cuba), Lang Ping (China) have become global icons, inspiring new generations.
Investment: The prestige of Olympic competition has spurred national programs to invest in women's volleyball, leading to improved training, infrastructure and grassroots initiatives.
Girls’ Volleyball #1 High School Sport
- Girls’ volleyball remains the No. 1 high school team sport, while boys’ high school volleyball has grown by 40% since 2017.
About Major League Volleyball
Major League Volleyball is proudly presented as America’s premier women’s professional volleyball league. With aspirations of quickly rising to the status of the country’s top women’s professional sports league, it’s poised to make a significant impact on the sports landscape. MLV will feature the world’s best players, coaches, medical care and training in a traditional pro team and league format. MLV will feature real rivalries in major sports markets with matches played in premier arenas that are aired on major broadcast networks. MLV will showcase major league fan experiences led by team and league operational expertise. More information can be found at https://mlvb.com.
About MLV Holdings
MLV Holdings is a newly formed group of entrepreneurs, athletes, creatives and operators poised to redefine professional women’s sports. It will design MLV to be the ultimate platform for athletes, empowering them to compete at the highest level while delivering unprecedented opportunities for fans, sponsors and stakeholders.
For exciting up-to-the-minute developments and news, visit https://mlvb.com and engage with MLV on the following social channels: X: MLV__Official; IG: MLV__Official; Facebook: Major League Volleyball.
Original Source: https://mlvb.com/news/mlv-launch-press-release/
Media Contacts:
Joan Lukas, Lukas Partners
MLV News Media Liaison
jlukas@lukaspartners.com
Kristen Crawford, Lukas Partners
MLV News Media Liaison
kcrawford@lukaspartners.com
