Key Takeaways
- Hudl now streams over 1 million games annually with 100 million fans engaging on the platform each year
- Parents spend 15 minutes per session on average, compared to passive social media scrolling
- 79% of parents always attend or livestream their child’s games, creating deeper engagement than traditional sports viewership
- The pandemic transformed Hudl from coaching software into a community destination when families couldn’t attend games in person
- Gen Z athletes now create 12 million highlights annually, viewing themselves as both players and content creators
What started as a simple solution to help coaches stop swapping VHS tapes has quietly become one of the most engaging sports media platforms in America. With 99% of high schools using Hudl and over 100 million fans following athletes annually, the company sits at the center of a massive shift in how communities consume sports content.
YSBR sat down with Adam Gouttierre, Vice President of Media at Hudl, to discuss how the platform evolved from B2B software to media powerhouse, why brands are missing a billion-dollar opportunity, and what the future holds for amateur sports engagement.
From Coaching Tool to Media Destination
YSBR: Hudl started as a video analysis tool for coaches, but now you’re describing it as a comprehensive sports ecosystem with 100M+ fans. Walk me through that transformation.
Gouttierre: Hudl started in 2006 when three classmates at the University of Nebraska saw how much time football coaches wasted recording, duplicating and distributing tape. The first version gave college and high school football programs access to professional-level video and data analysis software, saving coaches from swapping physical video tapes and late night video review sessions.
One turning point came during the pandemic, when families who couldn’t attend games in person looked to Hudl to stay connected. Using Hudl Focus AI-powered cameras, the demand for professional and seamless access pushed us to launch our own livestreaming network, which now powers more than one million games each year.
That’s when it became clear that we’re making an impact beyond ensuring athletes and coaches never miss a moment; we’re now a destination for entire communities. Today, with more than 100 million fans engaging on Hudl annually, whether its over 1M live-streamed games or 12M highlights or one Hudl digital ticket for a parent to watch their child’s first game, it’s a true sports ecosystem.
YSBR: At what point did you recognize that you weren’t just serving athletes and coaches anymore, but had built one of the largest amateur sports media platforms in the country?
Gouttierre: We always had a sense that Hudl was bigger than just the athletes and coaches we support everyday. Beyond the coach and athlete, the next persona who sought athlete film and highlights were recruiters. But beyond recruiters, the most passionate and vocal consumers of athlete highlights were the parents!
What came into focus next was when we launched Hudl TV during the pandemic. Families who couldn’t be in the stands increased online streaming, and the engagement we saw was extraordinary. Today, schools with teams at all levels stream over a million games each year, and athletes and teams create and share more than 12 million highlights.
What makes Hudl unique is that we’re with athletes for their entire journey. Athletes start by using our tools for coaching and analysis and creating highlights. Many come back later as parents watching their kids, or as alumni cheering on their school. This type of lifelong connection is rare in sports, creating multiple touchpoints for fans, families and brands.
The Always-On Sports Economy
YSBR: Where do you see high school sports viewership and engagement heading in the next 5 years?
Gouttierre: We expect interest and engagement in high school sports to continue to rise over the next five years. Fans, recruiters and media are following athletes earlier in their journeys, not just at the college or pro level. The growth of women’s sports has been a huge catalyst, and we’re already seeing major increases in viewership in sports like volleyball and soccer alongside our traditional staples, football and basketball.
Technology is fueling this shift. With Hudl Focus AI-powered cameras and livestreaming, schools of every size can now deliver consistent, broadcast-quality coverage without the barrier of big production costs. The freshman volleyball team can connect with its fans and parents as equally as the varsity football team.
For brands, this creates a unique long-term opportunity. NIL has changed the game at the college level, and that same principle is now trickling down into high school. If a brand can authentically connect with an athlete’s story early, that value compounds over time. We’ve seen it firsthand with athletes like Caitlin Clark: as she’s moved from high school to college to the WNBA, engagement with her Hudl highlights has only grown.
YSBR: Gen Z athletes are digital natives who expect to control their own narrative. How is this reshaping what platforms like Hudl need to offer?
Gouttierre: For Gen Z athletes, creating and sharing their own story isn’t extra, it’s part of the game. They’ve grown up as digital natives, so highlights and game footage aren’t just for coaches or recruiters anymore. Highlights are a way to build identity, connect with their communities and establish a personal brand. On Hudl, that shows up in scale with more than 12 million highlights created each year.
The bigger generational shift is that athletes now see themselves not only as players, but as storytellers. The same place they break down film with their coaches is the same place they build and share their brand with fans, recruiters and potential partners. That convergence is where Hudl is focused, because it’s where the next generation of athletes is already headed.
The Brand Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
YSBR: Your data shows that teens influence half of all household purchases, and parents spend 5-12+ hours weekly engaged with high school sports. Why are most major brands still overlooking this audience?
Gouttierre: One of the biggest differences at the high school level is the makeup of the audience. In pro or college sports, you’re reaching fans of the team. In high school sports, you’re connecting with parents, classmates, grandparents, next-door neighbors, alumni and sometimes an entire community who are deeply invested in the athletes themselves. That emotional connection completely changes the value of the engagement.
Hudl’s data backs this up. 46% of parents on our platform identify first as cheerleaders and fans of their athlete, dedicate 7–15+ hours per week to sports-related activities, and 79% say they always attend or livestream their child’s games. It’s not casual viewership, it’s commitment.
The “aha moment” usually comes when brands realize three things: first is reach, that the volume of live sports inventory at the high school level rivals what they might get from a national professional or collegiate broadcast. Second, that this inventory delivers stronger ROI, because the fans on Hudl aren’t tuning in for background noise. They’re leaned in, emotionally invested and watching with intent. And finally, live sports on Hudl is always on, not seasonal like professional leagues.
YSBR: When you pitch Hudl for Brands, what’s your argument versus traditional social media advertising?
Gouttierre: It comes down to the type of engagement. On platforms like Instagram or TikTok, audiences are often passively scrolling, competing against thousands of other posts. Hudl is fundamentally different. Families, athletes and coaches log in for a purpose. The engagement is intentional, personal and deeply emotional. On average, users spend close to 15 minutes per session on Hudl, which is a substantial amount of time in today’s digital landscape.
For a brand, showing up in that context delivers attention, trust and impact that social feeds simply cannot replicate. It’s not about replacing social platforms; it’s about adding a destination where the connection is authentic, the audience is fully present and every impression carries meaning.
Strategic Implications for the Industry
The transformation of Hudl from coaching software to media platform reflects broader shifts reshaping youth sports. As technology democratizes broadcast-quality content creation and Gen Z athletes embrace their roles as content creators, traditional boundaries between performance and marketing continue to blur.
For youth sports organizations, Hudl’s evolution demonstrates the value of authentic community engagement over traditional advertising. The platform’s 15-minute average session time and deep emotional investment from families creates advertising environments that major brands are only beginning to understand.
The convergence of performance analysis and personal branding tools suggests that future youth sports platforms will need to serve both functional and creative needs. As NIL opportunities continue expanding into high school sports, platforms that enable authentic storytelling while supporting athletic development will likely capture the most value.
YSBR provides this content on an “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. We do not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, legality, reliability, or use of the information, including any images, videos, or licenses associated with this article. For any concerns, including copyright issues or complaints, please contact YSBR directly.
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