Is it $35 billion, $50 billion, or even $75 billion now?
The youth sports economy is creating a lot of noise right now…
But is it just a hype cycle?
Some key things currently taking place:
- Billions of dollars are pouring in, accelerating growth and consolidation across every level.
- Two different markets are taking shape:
- Programming – the on-field experiences (Unrivaled, Rocket Youth, RCX).
- SportsTech – the software infrastructure (TeamSnap, GameChanger, EventConnect, Hudl).
- Investors are chasing both, but the tech side is where scale and recurring revenue live (however, they are reliant on the programming/layer one solutions).
There is a lot of noise surrounding announced funds; however, the scarcity of assets presents a real challenge in actually deploying intelligent capital.
Let’s Dive In 👇
Valuations in Youth Sports Tech
To start…
Entrance into the space is a massive challenge due to fragmentation, seasonality, the local value proposition of community-based usage, and the split between B2B and consumer software.
But it does create a compelling opportunity:
The top-valued assets are based on core investment fundamentals (recurring revenue, strong margins, retention, growth, distribution), but a lot of noise & hype is starting to grow on the lower end of the market.
Few assets are truly well-positioned to win – scale and size matter here.
I created this chart to show you the different valuations of the current top youth sports tech solutions (from ~$100 million to $1.5 billion):
There’s a realistic scenario where, within a 12-15 month window, the majority of the leading assets have either been traded, recapitalized, merged, or raised.
So far, it looks like this:
- Raised: Teamworks, FastBreak AI
- Traded: LeagueApps, Arbiter, Playmetrics, Stack
- Rumors: RCX, LiveBarn, SportsEngine
- IPO roadshow: Hudl
- Remaining: GameChanger, TeamSnap, PlayOn
This chart does a nice job outlining the flow of youth sports tech companies and who they primarily serve:
We’ve also started to see…
A wave of feature/function start-ups/middleware (Orgo) and roll-up of point solutions (FastBreak AI).
Big Questions to Think About
Instead of trying to organize this into a smooth-flowing paragraph…
It’s easier to just bullet point it:
- Will Waud Capital make a move with TeamSnap?
- Scorability just raised $40m – are they looking to get into the M&A space?
- AKKR is ramping up with LeagueApps and Arbiter. What’s next?
- Is Genstar resetting the table with the Playmetrics/Stack combo?
- Will the next wave of rollups create a dominant super-app(s), or will fragmentation persist?
- Which company becomes the first pure-play youth sports tech IPO (and can the public markets stomach the seasonality)?
- Larger funds are circling the space with interest, but will any of them actually make a move?
- What does the NBC/Comcast spin-out Versant do with the SportsEngine asset (the largest registration platform in the space)?
- What does Dicks Sporting Goods do with GameChanger (targeting ~$150M in revenue in 2025)?
- Will big retailers (Nike, Adidas, Fanatics) or ticketing giants (SeatGeek, Ticketmaster) make a move to own the youth sports funnel?
Looking Ahead
Youth sports are at an inflection point as we head into 2026.
This cycle will reward those who can combine:
- Scale to overcome fragmentation
- Technology that serves both B2B and consumer needs
- Capital that deploys intelligently rather than chasing hype
I think youth sports are nearing bubble territory, ignited by constant media headlines, so it’s definitely an area to keep a close eye on.
