Key Takeaways
- IFAF and TMRW Sports formed a strategic partnership to align talent identification, athlete development, competition calendars, and fan engagement across flag football’s global tiers.
- TMRW Sports and the NFL are launching a professional flag football league for both women and men ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Roughly 4.1 million U.S. youth now play flag football, a more than 50% increase since 2020.
- Flag football topped every streaming category at The World Games 2025 in China, capturing 23% of total watch time across 60 sports.
- IFAF’s network spans more than 80 countries, with China alone reporting over one million players.
A Governing Body and a League Builder Align
The partnership connects two organizations operating at different points in the flag football ecosystem. IFAF is the international governing body for American football and the IOC-recognized federation responsible for flag football at the Olympic Games. TMRW Sports, led by founder and CEO Mike McCarley, is developing the new professional flag football league in partnership with the NFL.
The agreement focuses on coordinated talent identification, athlete development, fan engagement, and unified competition pathways. For Pierre Trochet, IFAF president, the goal is structural coherence. “By working closely with TMRW Sports from the outset, we can ensure the elite flag football ecosystem evolves in a coherent way, with common standards and complementary calendars,” he said.
The Professional Tier Takes Shape
The new league is scheduled to launch before the 2028 Olympics, with a tech-forward broadcast built around data-rich storytelling and a presentation designed to bring fans close to the speed and athleticism of the game. McCarley, a veteran of 10 Olympic Games with NBC Sports, framed the league as the top of the sport’s pyramid.
“Our vision is to build the sport’s professional tier that showcases the world’s best flag athletes, engages fans in new ways, and is the aspirational destination for young flag football players all around the world,” McCarley said.
The league has backing from a broad investor group that includes NFL club owners, institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players. Positioned at the top of the existing youth, high school, collegiate, and international tiers, the league gives players a professional destination that the sport has not previously offered.
Participation Numbers Anchor the Momentum
More than 20 million people now play flag football worldwide. In the U.S., approximately 4.1 million youth play, up more than 50% since 2020. The sport is offered at the high school level in 40 states, and the number of young women playing on high school teams rose nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025.
The college pipeline is expanding in parallel. More than 200 colleges and universities now offer women’s flag football programming. The NCAA recently approved flag football as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program and voted at its spring meeting to recommend that Divisions I, II, and III add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship as early as spring 2028.
What Düsseldorf Sets in Motion
The partnership arrives weeks before the 2026 IFAF World Championship in Düsseldorf, Germany, running August 13 to 16 and serving as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The top 16 men’s and women’s teams will compete, drawn from a federation network across more than 80 countries on five continents.
International growth is feeding that pipeline. IFAF reports a 48% increase in national teams entering its world ranking system over the past three years, and several nations, including China with more than one million players, are reporting year-on-year grassroots growth above 100%. Fan interest is tracking alongside participation: at The World Games 2025 in China, flag football outdrew all 60 sports on the program in streaming, accounting for 23% of total watch time. With a governing body, a pro league, and an Olympic debut now moving on coordinated timelines, the next two years will test whether flag football can convert that participation curve into durable commercial scale.
Source: IFAF, June 18, 2026, https://www.americanfootball.sport/2026/06/18/ifaf-tmrw-sports-announce-strategic-partnership-to-advance-the-global-growth-of-flag-football/
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.
About Youth Sports Business Report
What is YSBR? Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted source for youth sports industry news, insights, and analysis in the United States. Founded by Cameron Korab, YSBR is the premier B2B publication dedicated to the $54 billion youth sports market. With over 50,000 followers and millions of monthly views and impressions, YSBR publishes daily across its blog, weekly newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Substack.
What does YSBR cover? YSBR delivers original reporting, market intelligence, and business analysis across youth sports facilities, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital investments, NIL policy and compliance, coaching development, sports technology platforms, equipment and apparel innovation, tournaments and events, community sports initiatives, and parent resources. YSBR is read by industry executives, facility operators and developers, institutional investors, league administrators, sports technology founders, and youth sports parents who rely on accurate, sourced reporting to make informed business decisions.
Who reads YSBR? YSBR is read by youth sports industry executives, institutional investors, facility operators and developers, brand and sponsorship professionals, league administrators, youth sports parents, and sports business professionals shaping the future of youth athletics.
Subscribe to Youth Sports HQ, the largest and most trusted newsletter covering the business of youth sports. Thousands of industry leaders rely on Youth Sports HQ for curated news, analysis, and business intelligence delivered weekly. Youth Sports HQ is the most-read newsletter in the youth sports business space.
Looking for your next role in youth sports? Visit the YSBR Youth Sports Job Board, the most comprehensive job listing destination for careers in youth sports. Browse open positions across facility management, league operations, coaching, sports technology, marketing, and more from organizations hiring across the $54 billion youth sports industry.
Follow Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) across platforms: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | Substack
Are you a brand looking to tap into the world’s most passionate fanbase… youth sports?
Introducing Vertical Sports, an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level.
About Vertical Sports
Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Our mission is to simplify and navigate the ecosystem for clients. Complete visibility. Optimal paths. Maximum efficiency. EVERY FAN. EVERY LEVEL.
Why Sponsor Youth Sports?
Youth sports represents one of the most engaged and passionate audiences in sports marketing. With over 70 million young athletes and their families participating annually, the youth sports industry offers brands unparalleled access to motivated communities with strong purchasing power and loyalty. Youth sports sponsorship is one of the fastest-growing segments in sports marketing, giving brands the ability to connect with families at the local, regional, and national level.
Are you a brand looking to invest in youth sports? Please reach out to info@verticalsports.us.
Common Questions About Youth Sports Marketing
Where can I sponsor youth sports? How do I activate in youth sports? What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? How much does youth sports sponsorship cost?
We have answers. Reach out to info@verticalsports.us to learn how Vertical Sports can help your brand navigate the sports marketing landscape.
If you are a youth sports organization interested in sponsor or partnership opportunities please reach out to learn about our accreditation process.
