Columbus Fury

What Columbus Fury does

Columbus Fury is a professional women's volleyball team that will compete in Major League Volleyball (MLV), the longest-running formal professional volleyball league in the United States. The team represents Columbus, Ohio as one of five 2027 expansion franchises alongside Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, NorCal, and Washington DC, taking the league to 11 teams. The franchise operates under MLV's umbrella, which holds alignment with USA Volleyball — the U.S. national governing body — to support an Olympic athlete development pipeline.

Columbus Fury's product surface is built around live professional volleyball: in-arena match events, season-ticket and individual-ticket sales through the official website, and broadcast distribution on ION Television and the Scripps Sports Network (including a Scripps Sports FAST channel). The league has invested in proprietary in-venue technology through a partnership with Bolt6, delivering the "3D Court Report" — a live 3D statistical visualization augmented with AR to present match data in real time to fans. MLV reaches fans via linear television, FAST streaming, and an owned digital footprint spanning Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and a dedicated MLV Podcast Series that publishes weekly episodes.

The franchise's revenue mechanics draw on four pillars: (1) direct ticketing (season ticket deposits and individual match sales through the official website), (2) media rights and broadcast revenue derived from ION and Scripps Sports deals, (3) corporate sponsorships (with named league-level partners including Franklin Sports, REN Athletics, and Spalding, plus a dedicated sponsorship channel at [email protected]), and (4) digital content monetization across the social and podcast footprint. Customer segments identified are individual fans of professional women's volleyball (primary) and corporate sponsors seeking alignment with elite women's athletics (secondary). MLV committed more than $1.5 million in player bonuses, the 2026 Championship Weekend was sold out, and postseason broadcasts reached nearly 3 million unique viewers, with 8.9 million social impressions May 3-10 representing a 63% year-over-year increase.

Name

Columbus Fury

Website

https://columbusfury.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbus Fury is a professional women's volleyball team competing in Major League Volleyball, a US Olympic-aligned league. The team serves Columbus, Ohio fans via live matches, ION/Scripps Sports broadcasts, corporate sponsorships, and digital content across major social platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Volleyball Leagues (MPAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Professional volleyball
• Women's sports team
• Live sports entertainment
• Major league volleyball
• Sports franchise

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Columbus Fury is a professional women's volleyball team that competes in Major League Volleyball (MLV), the longest-running formal professional volleyball league in the United States. The franchise represents Columbus, Ohio, and provides live professional volleyball entertainment, competitive match experiences, and community engagement around women's volleyball as part of MLV's expansion into top U.S. markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Columbus Fury Professional Volleyball Team
• Season Ticket Deposits

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Franklin SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing sports equipment for Major League Volleyball league and teams.
• REN AthleticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAthletic apparel partner for Major League Volleyball, providing performance clothing for volleyball athletes.
• SpaldingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial volleyball equipment partner supplying game balls and volleyball products for MLV.
• USA VolleyballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body for volleyball in the United States with alignment to MLV, providing pathway to Olympic development.
• Bolt6coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing match technology and innovation including 3D Court Report with live 3D statistical visualization and augmented reality for real-time match data presentation.
• ION TelevisioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcast partner for MLV postseason and championship coverage, reaching nearly 3 million unique viewers.
• Scripps SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSports broadcast partner providing linear television coverage and FAST channel distribution for MLV matches.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Athletes Unlimited Volleyball: Alternate US-based professional women's volleyball competition with a different format (player-rotating teams, individual scoring); competes for the same elite athlete pool and fan dollars, making it a relevant comparable for the broader US women's pro volleyball market in which Columbus Fury competes.
• Indiana Fever: WNBA franchise whose recent viewership and valuation surge illustrates the women's professional sports demand curve Columbus Fury is positioned to ride; a useful proxy for the upside scenario in league economics, sponsor pricing, and franchise value re-rating.
• Angel City FC: NWSL expansion-era women's professional sports team with celebrity/female-led ownership and strong social engagement playbook; comparable to Columbus Fury's situation as a newer franchise in a women's pro league seeking to build community and sponsorship value from a young base.

Direct peers

• Dallas Pulse: Sister MLV franchise and 2024-25 league champion; operates as a professional women's volleyball team under the same Major League Volleyball umbrella, sharing league scheduling, broadcast (ION/Scripps), and the Bolt6 3D Court Report technology stack that Columbus Fury will also use.
• Omaha (MLV): MLV expansion-market peer for Columbus Fury; both are growth-phase franchises building local fan bases in mid-sized markets, leveraging the same league broadcast deals, social content engine, and corporate partner stack (Franklin, REN, Spalding).
• Atlanta Vibe: Direct MLV peer franchise with the same product offering (live women's professional volleyball), customer segments (fans, sponsors), and distribution mix — making it one of the closest comps for ticket pricing, sponsorship yields, and attendance benchmarks as Columbus Fury prepares to launch.
• Grand Rapids Rise: MLV sister franchise competing in the same league format with the same athlete pipeline and broadcast partnerships; useful comparable for mid-sized market operations, ticket pricing strategy, and grassroots community engagement tactics relevant to Columbus Fury.
• Orlando Valkyries: MLV expansion-stage peer under the same league umbrella; comparable to Columbus Fury in go-to-market motion, ticketing strategy, and the challenge of building women's volleyball fandom in a market with established sports competition.
• San Diego Mojo: MLV sister franchise offering the same professional women's volleyball product with shared broadcast and partner economics; relevant peer for measuring sponsorship conversion and digital engagement performance against which Columbus Fury's go-to-market will be benchmarked.

Regional players

• Columbus Crew: Established MLS franchise sharing the Columbus DMA with Columbus Fury; competes for the same local sports sponsorship dollars, ticket buyers, and media attention, making it the most relevant local-market comp for sizing Columbus Fury's addressable fan and sponsor base.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbusfury

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus Fury