Andrew Petcash’s Post

***𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔*** - According to a 2022 Aspen Institute report, the average U.S. parent invests $883 annually in one child's sports commitments, contributing to a staggering $30-40 billion spent on youth sports every year. - While major leagues like the NFL and NBA generate substantial revenue, youth sports is no small player. Sports Business Journal reveals that it's a $37.5 billion global market, engaging around 60 million young athletes (Age group 6-17 y/o), surpassing even the NFL in size. The industry is projected to grow at a remarkable CAGR of 9% until 2030. - Notably, from 2020 to 2021, organized sports participation among 6 to 17-year-olds was significantly higher in wealthier households (68%) compared to lower-income households (34%), emphasizing the industry's privatized and costly nature. - Private equity is making bold moves into the sports ecosystem, particularly youth sports, evident in the investment of over $1 billion disclosed capital in the last five years. - Looking ahead, scaling and maturity will be key drivers in the next phase of youth sports tech. - Case in point: One such company, MOJO Sports Inc., that launched in 2021, has evolved as a subscription-based platform offering live and on-demand game streaming, player profiles, and more. Backed by NFL star Russell Wilson, Mojo Sports is set to be acquired by TeamSnap, a youth sports management platform, to fuel further growth. - With the youth sports space currently fragmented, there's significant potential for consolidation and good opportunities for private equity firms. As the focus on big professional leagues may reach saturation in the medium term, the youth sports arena presents a compelling avenue for investment. #YouthSports #PrivateEquity #SportsTech #InvestmentOpportunities

Jordan Demcher is absolutely right about this! Thank you for putting these thoughts down on paper! Had to share his post from Barstool Sports. This is a must-read for parents and anyone involved in youth sports. @JordieBarstool Every Parent Should Have To Watch This Clip Of Padraig Harrington Talk About How To Get Your Kids To Love Sports Jordie 12/18/2023 3:50 PM "If your kid gets good at the game, that doesn’t necessarily make them love it. But if the kid loves the game, it’s likely they’ll become good at it. It’s the love that should be first." I'd imagine that it's the same across all sports. There are always going to be those parents who get their kids into a sport and then treat it like their little Johnny is going to be the next LeBron James, or their little Tommy is going to be the next Wayne Gretzky. They have the kid training every free hour of they day. Individual training, extra group trainings, they're playing on multiple teams going to every single tournament every single weekend. They grind their kid in the hopes of turning them into the best possible player he or she could possibly be, and all of that is mostly in hopes of getting a scholarship to go play in college. It comes from a good place. I get it. They're just working the kid hard because they think it'll all pay off one day. But by the time the kid is even old enough to go to college, they are burnt out. They hate the game, its taken over their life, and they can't wait to be done with it. And it's not just parents. There are plenty of coaches guilty of this as well. They'll treat practice for a bunch of 9-year-olds like they're running an NFL training camp. So Padraig Harrington's message isn't just to the parents out there, but anybody involved with youth sports--just let the kids live. Let them have fun and fall in love with the game themselves. They might need a little kick in the ass at some points to keep them on track, but 90% of the time, the best players are going to be the ones who genuinely love the game more than anybody else. The kids who get obsessed and addicted to the game, and want to get better because of it. Not because their dad is going to scream at them on the car ride home about the $500 he wasted for extra training. Youth sports would be a much healthier environment if that 3-minute clip was required watching for parents getting their kid into a sport for the first time. If your kid is 12 and you're already focusing on getting them recruited for college, just take a step back and watch the 3-minute video. Realize what an insane person you are being, and go have a quick soda with your kid. #youthsports #athletedevelopment #athletics

David Blitzer, who owns a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, and his partner Josh Harris have launched Unrivaled Sports (Youth sports new parent company) , which will oversee their growing portfolio of youth sports properties. Unrivaled Sports has 12 owned and operated facilities that serve more than 550,000 athletes and 1.1 million attendees each year. Its portfolio also includes We Are Camp in Oregon (in partnership with Shaun White) and Cooperstown All-Star Village. The company said it expects to add more youth sports properties in 2024. “Through Unrivaled Sports, we're not just investing in sports; we're investing in future generations by making sports more inclusive and accessible in communities across the nation,” Harris, who owns the NFL’s Washington Commanders, said in a news release. “Our commitment is to provide unparalleled experiences and opportunities that inspire, educate, and uplift youth.” The Chernin Group (TCG), a multi-stage investment firm dedicated to building consumer businesses, has made a “significant” strategic investment in Unrivaled Sports. -------- Outside looking in, I can tell youth sports is big business! Access and cost effective play is a barrier for many underserved youth. So it would be great to see more youth based businesses invest and support underserved youth and the communities they live in vs just securing the bag from them. New community impact opportunities exist in this industry and I hope more folks that are community minded will lead these companies or start their own to rival big corporations having a monopoly in the youth sports space. #youthsports #sportsbiz #sports #clevelandsports

The last two days gave us super interesting (& 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦) news in sports... ❶ Billionaire Peter Thiel invested in an event to challenge the Olympics. ❷ Loyola Marymount University announced they’re cutting 6 sports. We're at a strange INFLECTION POINT where new sports are being added at record rates, while current sports are being cut at record rates. 𝐅𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 📉 NIL has expedited everything from pro to youth sports being commercialized. • What happens to Olympic sports? • Will there be more of a focus on revenue-generating sports at colleges? • With life-changing money in sports like basketball, soccer, and football will more parents/athletes choose these if college programs cut other sports? 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 📈 While we may see fewer sports at the college ranks… • The truth is that Millenials/GenZ like more sports than previous generations. • Fans under 34 years old follow an average of 6.3 different sports (with 65 total listed in a recent Nielsen study). It’s easier than ever to start a new sport, but also increasingly harder to make it mainstream. ----- Check out the full briefing here: https://lnkd.in/efTa8rEq

A lot of people are shocked by the sudden surge in valuation around women's sports. Do you know who is definitely not shocked? Me. I've been talking about investing in women's sports for years. People said it was silly and there would never be any value there. It's the same thing to me about Reddit and UGC – and they were wrong about that, too. But it was so clear to me that these leagues were sitting on untapped gold mines. They had very talented players with huge followings who were commanding multi-million dollar brand deals. But their games were being played on Lifetime, and those media rights were determining the overall value of the league. It just didn't add up. There are so many emerging sports—not just women's soccer—that got stuck-in-place because they were valued *way* below their potential for the very same reason. But it's all starting to change now. The way people consume information is changing. Social media is creating a huge signal for traditionally undervalued players and leagues. That's why our North Star for Angel City Football Club, Los Angeles Golf Club & the record-breaking ATHLOS starts with telling the stories of our players first and leveraging storytelling tech & social media platforms to do it. Offseason FC, which just secured distribution on X, is a perfect example – the series showcases who players are and how they train so fans can build an even deeper relationship. It means they will show up on game day – and beyond. We're seeing those valuations start to change now – and that change is gonna be *real* fast 📈 

The global youth sports market is expected to reach nearly $70 billion by 2030. Are you ready for this game-changing gold rush? Youth sports is experiencing unprecedented growth, with over 60 million kids in the U.S. participating in organized athletics.  Join LionTree’s Alex Michael in our latest Kindred Report as we dive into the evolving youth sports landscape – and explore who is investing in this booming market. 🎙️Featuring insights from: - Sameer Ahuja, President of GameChanger - Ayden Syal, Founder & CEO of MOGL In the report, we explore innovative platforms and technologies making a difference, the high costs of youth sports, and how companies, schools, and student athletes are navigating the impact of new NIL rules and monetizing their name, image, and likeness. Plus, don’t miss Kindred Media’s Laura Clinton’s on-the-ground report on how fans are engaging with sports content today. 📺 Watch now on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/em94nUSR

🏀 Did you catch the exciting championship game between South Carolina and Iowa this weekend? 🏀 It shattered records and became the most-viewed NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament game ever, averaging 18.2 million viewers. This mirrors our brand new Magid AD.VANTAGE survey that reveals a jaw-dropping 50% increase - from 12% last May to now 18% in interest in women's college basketball. 💡Jaime Spencer, EVP at Magid, shed light on this big shift when talking with NextTV, stating, “This transition is not just about welcoming new fans or bolstering female viewership. What’s transforming the game is the strong adoption by the core sports fan base.” Jaime adds, “These seasoned enthusiasts are expanding their viewing preferences to include these vibrant sports, marking a pivotal and enduring shift.” 🔍 Explore MagidAdvantage.com for more in-depth data concerning the rise of interest in women's sports and leverage AD.VANTAGE AI to transform these insights and more into compelling actions for your marketing content! #WomenInSports #WomensBasketball #MagidAdvantage #SportsMarketing https://lnkd.in/gXDM8FNU

The women’s college basketball final just outdrew the men’s — by 4 MILLION viewers. To say this is a monumental moment in women’s sports is an understatement. To put it simply: we’ve now proven that women’s sports can be THE main event. Not just the prequel or the companion piece – but the literal headline event during a major sports moment. Why is this important? Because while men’s sports have always received investment based on their *potential* — women’s sports have always had to prove it first. And we’ve now proven that women’s sports aren’t just “on the rise.” They’re ready to own the spotlight, and they can anchor one of the biggest calendar events of the year. If you’re a brand or an investor looking to make an impact in sports – what’s your excuse now for not investing in women’s sports? We have the names, we have the scale, and we’re only getting bigger. Sunday night showed what women’s sports are capable of when they only have a fraction of the resources given to men’s sports. Imagine what happens when you pour real fuel on this fire?

I was encouraged to read this recent Pew Research that reminds us of the MAJOR REASONS why Americans follow sports: #1 Teams #2 Entertainment The number of fans that follow sports to "cheer for their favorite teams" is 122% higher than those that follow sports to "cheer for a specific player." Fans that follow sports to be "part of a community" is 333% higher than fans that follow sports "because they bet on sports." At MintySports.com we believe the (local) sports franchise has significant (and largely overlooked) upside revenue potential precisely because fan affinity resides consistently with the home team. Of course we can't have sports without (great) players, and many people like to wager on outcomes, which can be part of the fun...but the TEAM is what fans value most. This may seem obvious, but I think we sometimes forget or maybe get distracted...chasing new ideas...and forgetting what is most important to our most valuable customers. Here's a link to the article, which (BTW) leads with a negative headline ("Most Americans don't closely follow sports"), and points out, FWIW, that young Americans and women are the least likely to follow sports closely. https://lnkd.in/g-fa5MPw

The latest "Introduction" from Sports Doing Good. Theme: calling pro leagues to contribute more to fix what ails youth sports in America. (1 of 2) The “American Dream,” the “Land of Opportunity.” We have all heard these phrases. And to varying degrees, all of us have lived it. I have featured numerous stories over the years in Sports doing Good that speak to individuals who have often come from very difficult circumstances to find safety and that dream/opportunity in the United States. Their determination and courage, along with important strategic assistance along their path, helped them on the road to fulfilling their potential.   Inherent with opportunity is accessibility. For what is opportunity when individuals are inadvertently or purposefully excluded from the resources, people, places, and things that are essential in taking advantage of those opportunities? We have identified an area where accessibility is constricting, to the point that many of those who could benefit the most, do not have any truly realized accessibility, and that is youth sports.   The lack of accessibility in sports is certainly NOT “sports doing good.” However, I included two stories this week – “American kids are facing an epidemic of loneliness. Overhauling youth sports could help fix that,” and “Investing in Utah’s young athletes could encourage a future of economic growth” - that speak to the importance of sports for young people’s intellectual, social and physical development, as well as the economic upside of creating a better system in and around sports.   The goal of youth sports should not be to produce only 1 elite player. It should be to produce 100 great players. And 5,000 good players. And 25,000 kids who just like playing the sport. Democratization, not consolidation, of resources and efforts is what is needed. I hope to see all that can affect change to do that in ways that others recognize and are then inspired to do their part as well.   For sure, some work is being done to better understand and address this predicament we are in, led by folks like the Aspen Institute and its Project Play initiative, along with non-profits like Up2Us Sports (increasing access to qualified coaches), Good Sports (increasing access to good equipment) and love.futbol (increasing access to places to play.) But I would like to make a call to the professional leagues to do more, and here is why.