GameChanger tipped off its inaugural Challenge Series in last weekend, marking the Dick’s Sporting Goods-owned platform’s entry into the live events business. The free-entry tournament series features $5,000 cash prizes per division and brings March Madness-style bracket play to more than 500 teams across four U.S. regions.
The Challenge Series represents a strategic build for the $100 million platform, transforming GameChanger from scorekeeping and streaming service into a direct event organizer. Teams across four grade divisions (5th through 8th) compete in single-elimination brackets at facilities in New Jersey, Miami, Texas, and the Chicago area.
Four regions, one weekend rivalry format
The Challenge Series runs across three weekends in January 2026, with each region hosting tournaments featuring 32-team brackets per division:
| Region | Dates | Venue | Location |
| NY/NJ | Jan 2-4 | Kingdom (MultiSports Kingdom) | Manalapan, NJ |
| South Florida | Jan 9-11 | SLAM Miami + Jose Marti Gym | Miami, FL |
| Texas | Jan 23-25 | AmeriSports Rockwall Center | Rockwall, TX |
| Chicago | Jan 23-25 | Hammond Sportsplex | Hammond, IN |
Entry is completely free, a departure from typical youth basketball tournaments charging $400-$800 registration fees. The only requirement: participating teams must have an active GameChanger account, creating a direct user acquisition pipeline for the platform.
Registration is handled through National Sports ID. Garden State Bounce (5th grade), NJ Scholars (6th), PSA (7th), and New Heights (8th) were crowned champs of the NY/NJ event last weekend!
Basketball expansion accelerates with streaming investments
The Challenge Series builds on GameChanger’s aggressive basketball investments during 2024-2025. In October 2024, the platform launched Film Room, an AI-powered video analysis tool that automatically condenses hours of game footage into coachable moments. The same month, GameChanger enhanced its AutoStream for Basketball feature, using AI to automatically follow on-court action.
The company also secured the exclusive live streaming partnership for the 2025 Nike Jr. Elite Youth Basketball League 7th and 8th-grade circuit, covering 12 marquee events with multi-camera views, live replays, and on-site commentary. This partnership positioned GameChanger as the premier technology provider for elite youth basketball.
In September 2025, GameChanger and Dick’s released “TRANSITION,” a six-episode Instagram documentary following a high school team competing in Nike Pro City. Players received exclusive Ja Morant signature sneakers from Dick’s, demonstrating the company’s integration of basketball culture beyond pure technology.
Sources
- GameChanger
- Exposure Events registration platform
- National Sports ID registration
- Sportico
- PR Newswire
- TechCrunch
- Sports Destination Management
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