What Occurred to the Worldwide Swimming League?
Throughout the late-2010s, the world of swimming was dominated by discussions surrounding the concept of an Worldwide Swimming League (ISL). The Olympics persistently appeal to new followers to swimming, however the sport has struggled to maintain followers’ curiosity with a calendar primarily based round one-off occasions on the finish of lengthy coaching cycles — and a very powerful occasion solely going down each 4 years.
The ISL was meant to vary that dynamic and convey swimming consistent with extra persistently fashionable sports activities. Groups drafted rosters that included a few of the finest swimmers from across the globe, with a blended nationality setup much like sports activities with sometimes far higher industrial attraction, corresponding to baseball and basketball. The ISL included an everyday season the place groups tried to qualify for the playoffs. For the primary time, swimmers have been assured a gentle revenue, with look charges and bonuses for excellent efficiency in particular person races or throughout the season.
This setup all appeared prefer it might impart a brand new lease of life into the game. Nonetheless, it didn’t pan out this manner. The ISL has been on a everlasting hiatus for the reason that 2022 season was canceled, and as of July 2025, there are not any indicators of an imminent return. So what went fallacious, and can we ever see a return?
Sarah Sjostrom — Photograph Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
The Steps to Institution
The ISL was initially extraordinarily divisive, and confronted main obstacles to formation. FINA (now World Aquatics) noticed it as a direct risk, and threatened to ban any collaborating athletes from all FINA accepted competitors, such because the Olympics or the World Championships. FINA additionally despatched letters to 209 nationwide swimming federations, urging them to reject the ISL.
Nonetheless, a gaggle of athletes together with colossal names corresponding to Adam Peaty, Katinka Hosszu and Sarah Sjostrom refused to again down. Somewhat, they used this risk to underline and criticize FINA’s monopoly on competitors.
By late 2018, the confrontation had descended into the courtroom, and by 2019, FINA reluctantly allowed the occasion to go forward. The primary season kicked off in October 2019.
Have been the Seasons Profitable?
The media hype getting into to the inaugural season was immense. 4 worldwide groups, 4 American groups and a glamorous last in Las Vegas introduced one thing swimming had by no means seen earlier than.
The primary monetary backer was Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin, who introduced in 2019 that the opening season would have a price range of $20 million, with $7 million in athlete prize cash and $4 million centered on TV manufacturing. Broadcast offers have been secured with Eurosport, CBS and BBC Sport, making certain widespread visibility for followers. French workforce Vitality Commonplace gained the primary league championship, with Sjostrom named probably the most invaluable swimmer.
As with all sporting occasions, the pandemic introduced important challenges for the second version in 2020. Somewhat than rotating arenas as was the case in 2019, your complete 2020 version was held in a “bubble” in Budapest. This led to important logistical challenges to stop the unfold of COVID-19 and in addition meant no followers might attend the occasions stay, which was a dampener on income. Nonetheless, a silver lining to this was following the overall pattern of elevated tv viewership attributable to everybody being compelled to remain at dwelling. American workforce Cali Condors gained that yr with Caeleb Dressel because the MVP.
Some COVID problems lingered into 2021, with solely Naples and Eindhoven used as host cities. Monetary pressure started to seep in, with Grigorishin nonetheless offering the overwhelming majority of backing for the league, which was not sustainable with out this funding. Some sponsorships existed, in addition to the aforementioned TV rights offers, however they struggled to even cowl the straightforward operational prices of working the occasion. Such monetary troubles meant that athlete funds have been considerably delayed, and quite a few swimmers reported lacking funds months and years later.
What Stopped the ISL?
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Grigorishin might not transfer his fortune, contributing to the delayed funds. In March 2022, it was introduced that the 2022 season of the ISL had been postponed to 2023, and that is the final we’ve got heard of the occasion.
Photograph Courtesy: Photograph Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
What Went Flawed?
Heavy reliance on funding from a person whose nation was invaded is a somber flip of occasions that the league couldn’t have predicted. Nonetheless, this excessive reliance on the wealth of 1 man isn’t a sustainable mannequin for a league to run, with the league closely prone to failure primarily based on exterior occasions. Moreover, the monetary points date from 2021, which means that geopolitical occasions should not solely the explanation for the ISL’s failure.
Merely, the league didn’t generate sufficient hype or income to cowl the numerous prices. Slicing down on athlete salaries or bonus charges was not an choice, because the ISL had marketed itself to the star athletes on the idea of paying honest charges and bonuses compared to World Aquatics. Whereas the concept of mirroring different league codecs was commendable, the league paying athletes relatively than groups was an unsustainable enterprise follow that’s vastly totally different to different main sports activities leagues. This additional left the athletes blindsided when the league’s central funding disappeared.
Moreover, the preliminary disputes with World Aquatics meant that they have been unwilling to assist the ISL when funding started to dry up and geopolitics dealt a deadly blow. Had central integration been achieved, maybe the ISL might have survived in a distinct format.
Is a Return within the Playing cards?
As of 2025, the league has been gathering mud for years and a return appears extraordinarily unlikely. No plans are in place for it and it appears to have change into forgotten within the worldwide swimming neighborhood. This can be a huge disgrace for anybody excited by the revolutionary format and stakes exterior of the normal worldwide meets. It appears a disgrace that it solely ran in three iterations.
Nonetheless, whereas the ISL is dormant, it launched concepts that may assist the game evolve. Swimmers and followers alike loved the concept of the fast-paced, athlete and entertainment-first league. Whereas the ISL had its intensive share of points, it shouldn’t be a loss of life knell when it comes to the try and innovate how swimming competitions are introduced. Swimming ought to proceed to attempt for increasing the viewers of our sport whereas giving the loyal, current followers the perfect product attainable.
