Key Takeaways
- The NFL and TMRW Sports named their new professional flag football league Premier Flag, with women’s and men’s divisions launching in summer 2027
- All Year 1 competition will take place at a single venue in a U.S. host city to be announced in the coming weeks
- All 32 NFL club owners are among the league’s investors, alongside institutional and strategic investors, current and former NFL players and women athletes
- The league sits atop a fast-growing pipeline: about 4.1 million U.S. youth play flag football, up more than 50% since 2020
- Talent identification is already underway, with a London combine completed in October and a Mexico City event set for November 22-23
A Pro Tier for a Full Flag Football Ecosystem
The National Football League and TMRW Sports unveiled Premier Flag on November 2, 2026, giving a name and brand identity to the professional flag football league the two have been developing since announcing the partnership in March. League officials confirmed for the first time that the inaugural season will be played in summer 2027, with every Year 1 game held at one venue.
According to Sports Business Journal, the name is meant to work as both a noun and an adjective, signaling the league’s ambition to sit at the top of a flag football structure that now runs from youth programs through high school, college and the Olympics.
“I’m not sure there’s ever been a league that’s launched with more tailwinds,” TMRW Sports President of Flag Football Brendan Donohue told SBJ, pointing to growth at the collegiate, high school and youth levels along with the sport’s addition to the LA28 Olympic program.
Brian Flinn, NFL senior vice president, global flag football, said the launch “creates a new professional opportunity for the world’s best players and establishes the pinnacle of the sport’s growing global pathway.”
Brand, Content and Infrastructure Partners
TMRW Sports CMO Peter Jung, SVP of Marketing for Flag Football Laura Andriani and VP, Brand and Creative Director Chad Read led brand development. Pivot Brand Group helped shape the name, positioning and visual identity. The logo features two stars representing the men’s and women’s divisions, a shape that nods to the NFL shield, and a stylized football with laces.
TOGETHXR, the women’s sports media company cofounded by Jessica Robertson, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel and Sue Bird, will handle social content strategy and production. Populous is designing what the league calls the first purpose-built flag football stadium, and Transwestern is leading the host city and league hub selection.
The league launched PremierFlagFootball.com along with @PremierFlag on X, Instagram and TikTok, and @PremierFlagFootball on YouTube and Facebook.
Building the Player Pipeline
Four Team USA players will serve as Premier Flag ambassadors and advise on training camps, facilities, uniforms and rules: Ashlea Klam, Isabella “Izzy” Geraci, Vanita Krouch and Darrell “Housh” Doucette III.
The first Premier Flag London Combine took place October 6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with athletes from ten countries. Top performers advance to a 2027 Premier Flag Combine. The NFL and TMRW will also stage the inaugural Premier Flag Showcase during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles.
TMRW has also formed a strategic partnership with IFAF, the IOC-recognized governing body overseeing Olympic flag football.
Why It Matters for Youth Sports
Premier Flag gives young players, especially girls, a visible professional destination at a time when the grassroots base is expanding quickly. More than 20 million people play flag football worldwide. High school flag football is offered in 40 states, with 25 sanctioning it at the varsity level, and girls’ high school participation rose nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025. More than 250 U.S. colleges field women’s programs, and the NCAA has recommended a national collegiate championship as early as spring 2028.
For youth leagues, clubs, facility operators and brands already invested in flag football, a pro tier backed by every NFL owner adds a top of the funnel that strengthens the value of the entire pathway.
Source: NFL.com, November 2, 2026, https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-tmrw-sports-unveil-premier-flag-new-professional-flag-football-league-launching-summer-2027; Sports Business Journal, Ben Fischer, November 2, 2026, https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2026/11/02/nfl-tmrw-launch-premier-flag-brand-for-new-pro-flag-football-league/
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Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
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Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
