Key Takeaways
- Newbridge Marketing claims a collegiate network of more than 10 million students on over 2,000 US campuses, per the agency.
- The deal is Primetime’s third move in the space, following its BASE Sports Group investment and Boostr Digital Displays acquisition.
- Newbridge had been self-funded for 21 years and will keep its name and leadership team after the investment.
- Balius Partners named influencer marketing, youth sports and enrichment, and staffing as growth channels it plans to build.
Primetime, the sports and marketing platform owned by private investment firm Balius Partners, has made a strategic investment in Newbridge Marketing, a college and experiential agency based in Lake Oswego, Oregon, according to a report from LBB Online. The move extends Primetime’s youth sports marketing platform from facilities and scoreboards into college campuses, and Newbridge says its network reaches more than 10 million students across over 2,000 US campuses. Financial terms were not disclosed.
A College Agency With Reach Across 2,000 Campuses
Newbridge has operated for 21 years and, per LBB, connects brands with college audiences through campus tours and activations, NIL athlete partnerships, student ambassador programs and a collegiate media network. Its experiential work includes sampling events, pop-up retail and grand-opening activations for brands such as Stanley, Jack Link’s and The North Face.
Until now the agency had never taken outside capital. Steve Schubert, Newbridge CEO and co-founder, told LBB the business was “leaving so much on the table” without investment. Chris Goulakos, managing director at Balius Partners, said the firm built its relationship with Newbridge management before and during diligence and was drawn to the strategic plan the team laid out.
What Is Primetime Building Across Youth Sports and College?
Primetime is assembling a platform that spans sports, youth and marketing, per the report. The Newbridge deal follows two earlier moves: an investment in BASE Sports Group, which connects brands with youth sports facilities and events, and the acquisition of Boostr Digital Displays, a manufacturer of LED scoreboards and display systems used across scholastic sports.
Together the three companies give Primetime touchpoints from youth sports fields and school gyms through to college campuses. Goulakos framed the logic in terms of consumer lifecycle: “College and youth sports provide trusted and safe environments at critical inflection points in a consumer’s journey that allow for brands to build awareness and begin developing customer loyalty.”
Goulakos also named the specific channels Balius intends to accelerate at Newbridge: influencer marketing, youth sports and enrichment, and staffing. That youth sports and enrichment line is the clearest signal of where Newbridge’s campus playbook may be applied next within the broader platform.
The Return to Analogue Driving Campus Activations
Both executives pointed to a shift in how younger consumers want to be reached. Goulakos described a pronounced “return to analogue” among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, with digitally native consumers seeking tactile experiences and shared moments of belonging.
Schubert, who has worked with college students for two decades, said social media reshaped student marketing in the early 2010s but that experiential is the current growth area. He tied it to a generation that missed live milestone moments in middle and high school during the pandemic and now has a deep appetite for live experiences, amplified by social sharing.
Goulakos connected the trend to AI on three fronts, per LBB. Rising productivity may create more leisure time for live events and sports. Declining career optimism among younger consumers as AI spreads through white-collar work is pushing them toward purpose in community and shared experience. And the volume of AI-generated imagery online is making live and experiential a refuge for consumers wary of it. In his words, savvy marketers are using channels like Newbridge to reach those audiences thoughtfully.
Newbridge Keeps Its Name While Balius Builds Three New Channels
Newbridge will continue under its existing name with its current leadership team in place, and Primetime and Balius Partners plan further investment in the agency’s talent, technology and capabilities, per the report. The agency will also be backed by a board whose experience spans CBS Sports, Chick-fil-A, Expedia, Fanatics, the NFL, Nielsen, Omnicom, Paramount and Vizio.
For youth sports operators, the relevant detail is the platform shape. Primetime now holds a facility and event sponsorship connector in BASE, a scholastic display hardware business in Boostr, and a college activation and NIL agency in Newbridge. Goulakos has named influencer marketing, youth sports and enrichment, and staffing as the growth channels to build. Which of those three Newbridge stands up first will show how tightly the platform intends to link the youth sports and college sides of its business.
Source: LBB Online, Addison Capper, September 8, 2026, https://lbbonline.com/news/primetime-newbridge-investment-college-marketing-youth
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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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YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
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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.
