Key Takeaways
- iHeartMedia gets the first-ever jersey branding rights for the U.S. Youth National Teams, whose 144 athletes include top boys’ and girls’ players.
- The deal creates an audio media sponsorship category that had never existed at USA Lacrosse, with iHeart named Official Audio Media Partner.
- iHeart adds presenting rights to The Atlas Cup, the Brogden Cup and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
- Content rights cover live and on-demand audio programming, including coverage tied to lacrosse’s Olympic return at the LA28 Games.
The USA Lacrosse iHeartMedia partnership, announced September 22, 2026, names iHeartMedia the Official Audio Media Partner of the sport’s national governing body and makes it the first brand ever to appear on the jerseys of the U.S. Youth National Teams. That youth program includes 144 athletes, according to USA Lacrosse. Financial terms were not disclosed.
What Does the USA Lacrosse iHeartMedia Partnership Include?
The agreement has three main components: media, content and event sponsorship.
On the media side, iHeartMedia will run promotional campaigns for USA Lacrosse events and membership initiatives across its live radio stations, digital stations and podcasts, according to the organization’s announcement. USA Lacrosse described the arrangement as a first-of-its-kind audio media category for the governing body.
On the content side, iHeart receives exclusive opportunities around the sport’s premier events and properties. The company will have the option to produce live and on-demand audio content, including programming connected to lacrosse’s return to the Olympic program at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
On the event side, iHeart becomes presenting sponsor of three USA Lacrosse properties: The Atlas Cup, the Brogden Cup and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
Youth National Team Jerseys Open to a Brand for the First Time
The jersey rights are the most notable piece for the youth sports market. No brand had previously been placed on U.S. Youth National Team uniforms, per USA Lacrosse.
Will Blake, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships for USA Lacrosse, said the deal was priced “at a scale and a valuation that reflects our commercial growth and where this sport is headed.” He added that iHeart is entering a category “that’s never existed in our sport before” rather than buying standard logo placement.
“That’s not a sponsorship, it’s an investment in the next generation of players and fans who will carry this game forward,” Blake said of the jersey placement.
The youth national teams represent the top tier of the American development pipeline, spanning both boys’ and girls’ programs.
iHeart’s Audio Reach Meets a 425,000-Member Base
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit certified by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, reports more than 425,000 members nationwide. The membership initiatives covered by the deal give iHeart a direct role in promoting that base.
iHeartMedia (Nasdaq: IHRT) says nine out of ten Americans listen to its broadcast radio each month. The company also describes itself as the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two publishers combined.
Michael Biondo, President of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at iHeartMedia, said the company aims to help “expand the sport’s reach, engage new fans” as lacrosse prepares for its Olympic return.
144 Jerseys, Three Marquee Events and an LA28 Content Window
The partnership gives iHeart a presence across the full USA Lacrosse calendar: grassroots membership campaigns, elite youth competition through the national teams and the Brogden Cup, the sport’s Hall of Fame night, and an audio content lane running into the 2028 Olympics.
What the deal does not reveal is its price. USA Lacrosse has not disclosed the value, leaving Blake’s description of the valuation as the only public measure of what the first brand placement on a U.S. youth national team jersey in lacrosse is worth.
Source: USA Lacrosse, September 22, 2026, https://www.usalacrosse.com/magazine/usa-lacrosse-and-iheartmedia-launch-strategic-partnership
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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.
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.
