Ex-NFL icon Greg Olsen has launched a new business focused on youth sports, aiming to provide a comprehensive resource to help families across the U.S. deal with a scattered sports landscape.
Olsen, now a commentator for Fox Sports and a three-time Pro Bowler, recently secured a $4.5 million seed investment for Youth Inc., his new venture that combines youth sports media with an e-commerce platform. He described his daily involvement in youth sports, both through his roles as a father and coach, and his previous experiences as a professional athlete.
“The reality is that I’m deeply immersed in the youth sports world almost every day,” Olsen explained. “With the right development, this platform could become an enduring tool that numerous families depend on.”
The funding was spearheaded by Will Ventures, supported by additional investments from Ryan Sports Ventures, Hello Sunshine’s Jim Toth, and ISOS Ventures.
Youth Inc. was founded under the umbrella of Audiorama, created by Olsen and his former teammate from the Carolina Panthers, Ryan Kalil. The company, which is also backed by Powerhouse Capital, started in March 2022 and was co-founded by actor Vince Vaughn. It originally focused on a podcast aimed at exploring youth sports in America, hosted by Olsen himself.
After the first podcast season, Olsen expanded his vision to create a more comprehensive platform to meet broader market needs. With the fresh funding, plans are underway to launch the revamped Youth Inc. platform later in the year.
The enterprise will be managed from Nashville and the Philadelphia area, transitioning from a podcast to a full-fledged media and e-commerce entity. Tim Murphy, former EVP of strategy and business development at Audacy, will be the President of Media. Ryan Baise, previously with Fanatics, will take on the role of CEO, focusing on developing the platform’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketplace.
Baise emphasized the unique challenges of managing a diverse supply chain to cater to various sports, from tennis to basketball. “Our goal is to establish a distinctive commerce platform that stands apart from existing ones in terms of supply chain,” he stated.
The leadership at Youth Inc. envisions the platform becoming a streamlined hub where consumers can access premium content and purchase merchandise ranging from team uniforms to fan gear, while also providing services to larger youth sports organizations to help manage their merchandise operations.
Olsen, whose father Chris Olsen was a well-known high school football coach, believes the synergy between content and commerce will drive the platform’s success. “Our content helps drive our commerce, and vice versa, enabling us to meet all our customers’ needs from our e-commerce site,” he added.
