Key Takeaways
- Balius Partners invested $1.5M in BASE Sports Group as part of a $2.5M funding round, investing through its new sports holding company Primetime Holdings
- BASE operates as a third-party sponsorship sales agency for youth sports facilities, events, and operators across 40+ states
- The company’s network spans 100+ facilities and reaches more than 33 million consumers through community sports touchpoints
- Capital will fund sales and operations hiring, expanded fulfillment capabilities, and new data and measurement tools, including an AI platform
- Strategic investors include former Learfield CEO Greg Brown, former Cleveland Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski, and former Learfield COO/CFO Temple Weiss
Filling the Sponsorship Gap in Youth Sports
Balius Partners has invested $1.5M in BASE Sports Group as part of a $2.5M funding round backing the Philadelphia-based sponsorship sales agency. BASE works as a third-party partner for youth sports operators, facilities, and events that typically lack the internal resources to build and manage sponsorship portfolios.
The investment was made through Primetime Holdings, a new sports holding company launched by Balius. Chris Goulakos, partner at Balius, described youth sports sponsorship as a category that is only now beginning to institutionalize, noting that the space has not yet matured the way sponsorship has in college and professional sports.
“By bridging the gap between national brand budgets and high-growth youth facilities, BASE is capturing durable value in a high-growth sector,” Goulakos said.
How BASE Operates at Scale
BASE positions itself as a national sponsorship infrastructure layer for a market that has historically been fragmented and locally managed. The company’s network spans 100+ facilities and major events across more than 40 states, reaching over 33 million consumers through community-based sports touchpoints. Partnerships with operators like Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) and MADE Hoops anchor the network.
The agency’s client roster includes brands such as GEICO, IKEA, Invisalign, Honey Stinger, and YETI. BASE co-founder and CEO Mark Dvoroznak framed the company’s model as applying capital budgeting and data analytics from professional sports to the amateur level.
“We enable national brands to enter the youth sports ecosystem with precision and authenticity that will not only unlock unmatched ROI but will support local facilities and improve the community experience,” Dvoroznak said.
Where the Capital Goes
Co-founder Carrie Gamper said the new funding will scale BASE’s sales and operations teams, expand fulfillment and management capabilities, and build out data and measurement tools. The company also plans to accelerate hiring and invest in new technology, including an AI tool that Gamper said would not have been possible without the round.
The investor group adds a layer of sports business experience to BASE’s cap table. Greg Brown, former CEO of Learfield, Len Komoroski, former CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Temple Weiss, former COO and CFO of Learfield, all participated as strategic investors alongside entrepreneur Omar Soliman, founder of College Hunks Hauling Junk.
A Growing Bet on Youth Sports Monetization
The round reflects continued investor interest in the commercial infrastructure surrounding youth sports. While participation and facility development have attracted capital for years, sponsorship monetization at the grassroots level remains early-stage. BASE’s aggregated venue network gives it the ability to package inventory across geographies and offer national brands a single point of entry into a market that has historically required dozens of individual relationships.
Balius Partners’ decision to route the investment through Primetime Holdings also signals a broader thesis. The holding company structure suggests Balius sees youth sports as a category worth building around, not just a one-off deal.
Source: Sports Business Journal, Mary Gaughan, April 15, 2026
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