Key Takeaways
- BSN Sports is the first national sponsor in SFC’s history, gaining an opt-in pathway into more than 140 managed and supported venues.
- SFC’s network draws nearly 30 million guest visits a year and generates over $1 billion in annual economic impact, per the company.
- Participating venues get equipment, apparel, team shop solutions, program support and brand activations; financial terms and deal length were not disclosed.
- The structure is voluntary by venue, so BSN’s actual footprint depends on how many facilities choose to participate.
A First National Sponsor for a 140-Venue Network
The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the Clearwater, Florida-based operator of sports, recreation and events venues, announced on September 10, 2026 that BSN Sports has become its first national sponsorship partner. The sports facility sponsorship deal gives BSN Sports, a Varsity Brands company that markets, manufactures and distributes team apparel, equipment and uniforms, opt-in access to SFC’s network of more than 140 managed and supported venues, according to the announcement.
SFC did not disclose the financial value or term of the agreement. What it did disclose is the scale of the platform BSN is buying into: nearly 30 million guest visits annually, approximately 7,500 team members and more than $1 billion in annual economic impact across the network, per the company.
What the Opt-In Structure Delivers to Venues
Rather than mandating participation, SFC built the partnership so that eligible venues choose whether to activate it. Facilities that opt in gain access to BSN Sports equipment, apparel, team shop solutions, customized program support and brand activations, the company said.
The release frames the goal as helping facilities improve programming and the guest experience. It also states that the national agreement supports tailored local activation, meaning a venue can draw on resources that fit its own market rather than a one-size template.
For BSN Sports, the arrangement extends a business model built since 1972 on serving coaches, schools, clubs, colleges and athletic programs. Avery Jessup, Chief Commercial Officer at BSN Sports, described the network in the announcement as a set of community destinations where coaches, athletes and families gather, and said the deal gives BSN a way to support those coaches with products, resources and service.
Why SFC Is Selling National Reach Now
SFC has spent recent years widening what it operates. The company’s integrated platform now includes the Power Wellness and Spirit Golf Management brands, extending its reach from traditional sports venues into recreation, health, wellness and golf assets, according to the release.
A national sponsorship model turns that breadth into a sellable asset. Ashley Whittaker, Chief Marketing Officer for SFC, said the combination of SFC’s national platform and BSN’s position in team sports is intended to create value for venues, clients, athletes, families and partners.
The announcement stops short of naming a broader sponsorship program or a target number of national partners. What it establishes is precedent: SFC now has a template for packaging a multi-venue network for a single brand, with local opt-in as the mechanism.
One Contract, 140 Opt-In Decisions
The headline number is 140-plus venues, but the working number is whatever share of those venues choose to activate. SFC’s release does not say how many facilities have opted in, when the first activations begin, or whether the partnership includes exclusivity in the team apparel and equipment category.
Those details will determine whether this reads as a national deal or a national menu. For now, the confirmed facts are the ones SFC put on paper: one first-of-its-kind partner, a voluntary structure, and a network that logs nearly 30 million visits a year waiting to see how many doors BSN Sports actually walks through.
Source: The Sports Facilities Companies, press release, September 10, 2026
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About Youth Sports Business Report
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.
What does YSBR cover?
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.
