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The International Swimming League plans to relaunch as early as 2026 after a three-year hiatus, betting that a revamped business model, stable support and momentum from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics can support a global team competition in one of the Games’ flagship sports.
The ISL was first launched in 2019 with the aim of keeping swimming fans engaged beyond the Olympics by creating a season-long league with regular competitions. It previously featured some of the sport’s biggest stars, including Caeleb Dressel, Adam Peaty and Katinka Hosszu.
The ISL held its final season in 2021 and shut down after being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine on its main backer, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Grigorishin.
“ISL is coming back,” commissioner Ben Allen told Reuters.
“And we’re really excited about the prospect of recovery.”
Allen said the “ideal scenario” would see the ISL return in the fall of 2026, with 2027 a firm target if that fails. The new model is designed to reduce reliance on a single investor and rely more on sponsorship and media partnerships.
A brilliant return
The planned return season would include seven matches spread across North America and Europe with at least one stop in Asia and possibly the Middle East, Allen said.
The United States, which he described as the ISL’s biggest market, is expected to host events after previous stages, including the 2019 final at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where a temporary swimming pool was built inside an arena.
He said the league used the break to tweak the format following feedback from athletes, coaches, broadcasters and fans to make it even better for television.
As part of its recovery planning, ISL is considering changes to its events calendar. The league previously held sessions over two days, and Allen said the league is now considering a one-day format that could make events easier for traveling fans and broadcasters.
“We’re going to do some experiments and trials over the next few months to figure this out,” Allen said.
Olympic dynamics
The league’s planned return would come as swimming prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which Allen said creates an opportunity to broaden the sport’s appeal beyond the Olympic window and give athletes a more consistent professional platform to build their public profile.
He said the ISL aims to keep swimmers visible throughout the Olympic cycle, arguing that many athletes fade from public attention a few months after the Games, and that the league’s focus on entertainment will remain central.
He described an ISL competition as a fast-paced production featuring poolside staging, graphics, lasers and a DJ, with minimal downtime between races.
He cited the 2019 and 2021 seasons in which the overall title was decided in the final race, highlighting ISL’s efforts to create a tight, narrative-driven competition.
Asked about the legal disputes involving swimming’s governing body, World Aquatics, Allen said the league was preparing to return regardless of the outcome.
“Simply put, no,” Allen said when asked if legal battles would be an obstacle. World Aquatics agreed to a US$4.6 million deal with professional swimmers in September, allowing them to compete in the ISL without losing their right to compete in the Olympics.
World Aquatics denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to settle the lawsuit filed in 2018. The agreement did not affect the related lawsuit filed by ISL that same year against World Aquatics, which is ongoing.
