Softball Australia is proud to announce that the Softball Australia Cup will be broadcast live on Kayo Sports, marking Australian softball's return to Kayo Sports for the first time since the 2023 Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage. 

In a landscape where major codes lead broadcast coverage, and fans are demanding more visibility for women’s sport, this broadcast returns international women’s softball to the national stage at a pivotal moment for the game. 

The 2026 Softball Australia Cup will unite Australia, Japan and New Zealand in a high‑intensity round‑robin tournament, delivering three international games per day from Thursday 29 January to Sunday 1 February, culminating in a final to determine the series champion at 7.30pm AEDT.  

Fans will be able to follow every pitch live on Kayo Sports, with the action building toward the final. This format guarantees wall‑to‑wall elite softball and the strongest international competition seen in Australia in years. 

Coverage will be led by a standout commentary team featuring play‑by‑play specialist Eric Balnar, respected Australian softball voice James Harris, rising broadcast talent Georgia Rajic, Sportish co-host Georgie Trickett, and Australian softball legend Joyce Lester OLY, with more icons of the game joining across the tournament. 

The event arrives with global significance. Japan, the world’s No. 1 ranked team, returns to Australian soil as the benchmark in international softball. The Aussie Spirit enter the Cup with renewed firepower and a clear mission for redemption after a 0-4 series loss against powerhouse softball nation USA last month. 

With qualification pathways tightening and global competition intensifying, the Cup serves as a crucial preparation platform for the 2027 WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup and the sport’s return to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. 

The return to broadcast also aligns with a global surge in softball viewership. The 2025 NCAA Women’s College World Series recorded a 24% year‑over‑year increase and averaged 1.3 million viewers, making it the most‑watched WCWS ever. This international momentum underscores the growing appetite for elite women’s softball and reinforces the importance of bringing the Spirit back to major Australian screens.  

The 2026 Softball Australia Cup represents a major step back into national broadcast visibility, elevating the sport’s presence and reconnecting fans with the Aussie Spirit on the platforms they watch most.

“Bringing the Softball Australia Cup to Kayo Sports is a landmark moment for our sport,” said Softball Australia CEO Sarah Loh.  

“Australian fans deserve to see their national team compete on the world stage, and this partnership ensures the next chapter of the Spirit’s journey to the World Cup and LA Olympics is accessible to households across the country.” 

Broadcast coverage will include all round‑robin games live on Kayo Sports.
The full schedule is available on the event page.

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