The recent second round of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), held over five days at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, attracted a remarkable 39,500 fans across 12 matches. This turnout makes the tournament potentially the largest international volleyball event in North America excluding the Olympic Games.
Volleyball World, the international organization dedicated to driving growth and innovation in volleyball globally, announced the record attendance for the event in the Chicago area. The tournament featured elite teams from the United States, Poland, Brazil, Italy, Canada, and China, with some matches selling out.
The VNL 2025 circuit encompasses Men’s and Women’s competitions taking place around the world. This year, Chicago hosted Round Two for the Men, alongside venues in Burgas, Bulgaria, and Belgrade, Serbia. The tournament began in Quebec City, Canada; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Xi’an, China. Round Three is scheduled for July 16-20 in Gdansk, Poland; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Chiba, Japan. The Men’s Finals will conclude the competition in Ningbo, China, from July 30 to August 3.
The matches held at the NOW Arena showcased electrifying volleyball, captivating not only the audience in the stands but also viewers watching on various platforms including CBS, Big Ten Network, and Volleyball World TV (VBTV), Volleyball World’s own media platform. VBTV reported a global viewership of nearly 750,000 for the matches on its platform.
Stephanie Giardina, Chief Revenue Officer at Volleyball World, expressed her excitement about the significant turnout. “We were absolutely thrilled to see such a massive audience turn out for Round Two of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League,” she commented. “The energy in the arena was electric, and it’s amazing to witness how the love for volleyball is growing worldwide. This kind of support inspires the players and elevates the entire sport. We now look forward to heading to Arlington, Texas for round three of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League on July 9.”
Volleyball is recognized as the third most-watched sport globally, with over 800 million fans attending or viewing matches on television each year. The VNL tournament provided an exciting glimpse into the future of international volleyball, featuring many athletes who aim to represent their nations at major events such as the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The Women’s Volleyball Nations League is also currently underway, with Round Three scheduled to be held at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, from July 9-13. The complete schedule, including results from previous matches, is available.
The schedule for the matches held at the NOW Arena was as follows:
Wednesday, June 25
- 12:30 p.m. Italy vs. Poland
- 4 p.m Canada vs. Brazil
- 7:30 p.m. China vs. USA
Thursday, June 26
- 4 p.m. Brazil vs. China
- 7:30 p.m. Canada vs. USA
Friday, June 27
- 4 p.m. China vs. Italy
- 7:30 p.m. Canada vs. Poland
Saturday, June 28
- 4 p.m. Brazil vs. Italy
- 7:30 p.m. USA vs. Poland
Sunday, June 29
- 12:30 p.m. China vs. Canada
- 4 p.m. Brazil vs. Poland
- 7:30 p.m. USA vs. Italy
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick