Athletes Unlimited: New Pro Sports Model Visited Las Vegas For Women’s Basketball For Five Weeks
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
For nearly five weeks in Las Vegas, women’s pro basketball players have competed. No, not the WNBA Aces. It’s a novel pro sports model called Athletes Unlimited created by friends and co-founders Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros, son of billionaire George Soros. Instead of traditional city-based leagues, Athletes Unlimited pays women athletes to compete in fantasy sports-style games where captains pick teams in sports of basketball, volleyball, softball and lacrosse.
Here in Las Vegas at the Athletes Unlimited Arena at the Sport Center of Las Vegas less than two miles from the Strip, the pro basketball inaugural season games began Jan. 26 and finish Saturday. Season Two of Athletes Unlimited Volleyball begins in Dallas on March 16.
Athletes Unlimited will make an announcement about 2023 on Sunday after its inaugural season is completed. LVSportsBiz.com caught up with Patricof Thursday for our LVSB Five Question Feature:.
LVSportsBiz.com: What was the sport being played in Las Vegas and how did you go about picking Las Vegas as the site?
Jon Patricof: We are finishing up the inaugural season of our women’s pro basketball league. Basketball is the fourth sports league Athletes Unlimited has launched over the past two years. Each league runs in one city for a five-week season with games broadcast nationally and globally.
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LVSB: How many athletes participated in Las Vegas and how much are they paid?
JP: There were 45 basketball players in the league and they received approximately $20,000 in compensation on average including base and bonus. The league also provides housing, child-care, most meals and transportation.
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LVSB: How is the fan experience at an Athletes Unlimited event different from a regular league game?
JP: Our motto is “Every Moment Counts”. Players are competing for their spot on the leaderboard which will determine their end of season bonus so every play, every basketball, every steal counts….for fans in attendance, they will see fast-paced, intense basketball from start to finish as there are points on the line with every play. Also what I hear most from fans is the players are having so much fun and that comes across on TV and especially in the arena. We really focus on making sure the players are in a good place on and off the court and we hope that shines through in what fans see.
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LVSB: What are the major revenue generators for Athletes Unlimited or do you and Jonathan Soros underwrite and subsidize the operations?
JP: Our revenue model is similar to other pro leagues. On the cost side, we have decided to focus much more on content creation and broadcasts. We choose small venues very intentionally and put a lot the resources that usually go into local marketing and ticket sales into having amazing content and storytelling on broadcast and on our social media. We also have a fan club called the Unlimited Club that for as little as $20 per year gives fans insider access, special perks and benefits. We also have a free tier that people can sign up for if they want access to our app.
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LVSB: What is your main takeaway from holding the events in Las Vegas and will you be returning?
JP: It’s hard to imagine there is a city that is better than Las Vegas to host a sports league. There is so much energy here and with the Las Vegas Aces, the support and excitement for women’s basketball runs deep.
