Sports

Olivia Dunne Joins Paul Skenes In Pittsburgh As He Awaits Pirates Debut

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Olivia Dunne

Getty Image / James Gilbert


The debut of the top pitching prospect in baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes, is coming on Saturday. It’s the most anticipated pitching prospect debut in recent memory.

The biggest reason is that Paul Skenes is a phenom, as he dominated the SEC last year at LSU and has picked up where he left off in professional baseball. But, his very famous girlfriend, Olivia Dunne, is also part of the reason.

Dunne, who recently wrapped up her career as a gymnast at LSU as the team captured the 2024 National Championship, is a much bigger deal in general American culture than Paul Skenes. Frankly, it isn’t even close.

Dunne boasts over 13 million followers on Instagram and TikTok combined. And, she’s pretty much everywhere when it comes to the marketing world. She boasts sponsors like Vuori, Grubhub, American Eagle, among others. And, she’s already been featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine. Dunne became one of the big faces of college athletes getting Name, Image, and Likeness rights (NIL), and has had billboards in Times Square, as well. Safe to say, she’s a pretty big deal.

 

When it was announced earlier this week that Paul Skenes would be making his Pirates debut on Saturday,  I’m sure many people wondered if Olivia Dunne would be in attendance this weekend.

That question appears to have been answered in the affirmative.

As famous as Olivia. Dunne is, she’s obviously not as famous as Taylor Swift. But, the NFL saw a bump of viewership when Swift started attending boyfriend Travis Kelce’s games. Maybe there will be a bump in viewership of Pirates games that Skenes is pitching in when Dunne is in the stands?

That being said, most of Swift’s fan base is women, and I’m not sure the same is true for Olivia Dunne’s fans. That being said, a bump in viewership is still a bump in viewership.

For now, I’m sure their focus is on Paul Skenes pitching well against the Cubs at PNC Park on Saturday. But, the Olivia Dunne subplot will definitely be something worth monitoring.