NEW
YORK, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Unrivaled
Sports, a leader in world-class youth sports experiences and
facilities, announced today the acquisition of Under the Lights
Powered by Under Armour, the second-largest youth flag football
operator in the U.S. This expansion follows Josh Harris, David
Blitzer, and The Chernin Group's recent launch of Unrivaled
Sports, the parent company of 15 premier youth sports properties,
including ForeverLawn Sports Complex at the Hall of Fame Village in
Canton, Ohio.
Founded in 2015, Under the Lights Powered by Under Armour
operates 170 local flag football leagues with 35,000 boys and girls
from first through eighth grades, organizing events for more than
5,000 teams in 27 states. Each league within Under the Lights
emphasizes a competitive and confidence-building experience.
OneTeam Partners, which acquired Under the Lights in 2021, will
retain a stake in the company and explore partnership opportunities
to create innovative programming and marketing via access to the
NFL Players Association and its players.
Flag football's popularity has surged over the last decade,
culminating in its inclusion as an Olympic sport at the 2028
Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los
Angeles. The International Federation of American Football
reports that approximately 2.4 million children under 17
participate in organized flag football in the U.S. The sport is
significantly growing in popularity for girls. Nearly half a
million girls played flag football in 2023, a 63% increase since
2019. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association,
the number of "core" youth flag football players, defined as ages
6-17 who played at least 26 times a year, increased by 14.9% over
the past three years.
"As flag football approaches its Olympic debut in 2028, we are
thrilled to spearhead the sport's development at the youth level,"
said Amanda Shank, EVP of Business
Development at Unrivaled Sports. "By leveraging our combined
expertise and resources, our goal is to enable more access to flag
football while adding operational excellence. We also plan to
establish Canton as the epicenter for flag football through the
incredible ForeverLawn Sports Complex at the Pro Football Hall of
Fame Village."
"Joining the Unrivaled Sports family marks a thrilling new
chapter for flag football at the youth level," said Matt Raab, who was promoted to President of
League Operations at Under the Lights as part of the transaction.
"We plan to continue to invest in the Under the Lights experience
for both our players and our commissioners, expand our reach, and
elevate the flag football experience nationwide."
"Recognizing the immense potential in our partnership with
Unrivaled Sports, we're committed to leveraging our Player
Association rights to create unique value in the youth and
experiential marketplace," stated Frank
Arthofer, President of OneTeam Partners, the global leader
in commercializing professional and collegiate athlete rights,
which counts among its owners the NFLPA, MLBPA, MLSPA, HPS
Investment Partners, General Atlantic, and others. "This begins
with Unrivaled, and we have deep conviction in this platform,
business, and team to deliver."
"This is an incredibly exciting time to be in flag football as
participation continues to accelerate at all levels of the sport,
with both boys and girls," said Andy
Campion, Chairman of the Board for Unrivaled Sports and
member of the LA28 Board of Directors. "With flag football's
inclusion at LA28, we have a unique opportunity to shape the future
of the sport at the youth level over the next four years and
beyond."
Under Armour® is also the exclusive apparel company for
Unrivaled Sports' baseball division, which includes Ripken
Baseball®, Cooperstown All Star Village and Sports Force
Parks™.
About Unrivaled Sports
Founded by Josh Harris and
David Blitzer, with a significant
strategic investment by The Chernin Group (TCG), Unrivaled Sports
oversees a diverse family of youth sports properties across
Baseball, Softball, Football, and Action Sports. Unrivaled Sports'
portfolio includes Ripken Baseball®, Cooperstown All Star Village,
Sports Force Parks™, Baseball Factory™, Softball Factory™,
Diamond Nation, We Are Camp, the
ForeverLawn Sports Complex at the Hall of Fame Village, and Soccer
Youth. Unrivaled Sports has partnerships in Baseball with Hall of
Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., and in Action
Sports with 5-time Olympian Shaun White. All of its properties are
committed to providing young athletes with world-class experiences,
development opportunities, and platforms to excel. Learn more
at playunrivaled.com.
Press Contact:
Eric Nemeth
602-502-2793
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SOURCE Unrivaled Sports