FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Youth Inc. Launches Youth Sports Content & Commerce Marketplace with $4.5M Seed Round.
[Nashville, TN, 5/13/2024] Co-founded by NFL alum and decorated Fox Sports broadcaster, Greg Olsen, Youth Inc. is the first digital media network dedicated exclusively to youth sports content.
"As a parent and coach of three young athletes, I appreciate the challenges families and coaches face while trying to make the best choices for their kids,” said Olsen. “If we can create a resource to help them make those decisions, then mission accomplished.”
Through its content arm, Youth Inc. will guide parents, coaches, and youth athletes through the opportunities and complexities presented by youth sports. The company will work with professional and college athletes, coaches, and thought leaders to create original material while aggregating content from third-party creators. Co-founder Tim Murphy, formerly EVP of Strategy & Corporate Development at Audacy, will serve as the company’s President of Media.
Season One of the Youth Inc. video podcast was released in 2022 as part of Audiorama, Inc., a joint venture between Olsen, Vince Vaughn, Ryan Kalil, and Powerhouse Capital.
Alongside its media offering, Youth Inc. will offer a DTC marketplace with a curated selection of brands for youth sports fans, coaches, and athletes. "A premium, on-demand merchandise experience is missing from the youth sports market. By leveraging new technology and a differentiated supply chain, we aim to uplevel how youth sports products are sourced, furnished, and delivered," said Ryan Baise, CEO and co-founder of Youth Inc. The company will also offer a service to help large youth sports organizations manage their merchandise function.
Baise, a Fanatics alum who oversaw new ventures for the merchandising giants’ Commerce division, believes the youth sports industry is at an inflection point.. “Youth Sports is now attracting capital from some of the world’s best investors. Meanwhile, athlete participation is down and the barrier to entry has never been higher. As an industry, we have the opportunity and obligation to make information and participation more accessible to 65M youth sports parents and athletes.”
Will Ventures led the round with co-investments from Ryan Sports Ventures, Hello Sunshine co-founder Jim Toth, NFL quarterbacks Josh Allen and CJ Stroud, Ohio State Football Coach Ryan Day, and ISOS Ventures.
Youth Inc. will be based in Nashville and greater Philadelphia with plans to launch its platform later this year.
For more information, please contact info@youth.inc.