2.13.7.4Vertical

Youth Sports Leagues & Organizations

Recreational youth sports league organizers.

Market snapshot

These figures describe Youth Sports & Activities (2.13.7), the segment that Youth Sports Leagues & Organizations sits within. They are not figures for Youth Sports Leagues & Organizations on its own.

Market size
~$12B
Growth
~8.2%CAGR (2017–22, nominal)
Companies
~18,708 firms
Firms by employee count

89.3% of firms have fewer than 20 employees: 16,699 micro-businesses, below most mandates.

The investable universe2,009 firms with 20+ employees
20–99
1,88894%
100–499
1025%
500+
191%

broader facilities and leagues sit in recreation classifications.

NAICS 611620. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census.

Business model & economics

Revenue model

Participation, training, membership, and tournament fees

Key economics

Revenue per firm
$622,227
Revenue per employee
$67,587
Employees per firm
8.5
Recurring revenue
Moderate–High

recurring participation and training

EBITDA margin
15–25%
Capex intensity
Moderate

Characteristics

  • Balanced cost base: payroll is 31% of revenue, leaving room to scale margin without cutting staff
  • Thin strategic-buyer pool: only 19 firms exceed 500 employees, so exits skew sponsor-to-sponsor
  • Travel and club sports professionalized into a large ecosystem.
  • Recurring participation, training, and tournament fees.
  • Resilient, growing parental spending on youth athletics.

NAICS 611620. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census.

M&A deal context

Deal activityHigh

Who’s acquiring

  • PE-backed youth-sports platforms
  • Facility & tournament operators
  • Training-academy consolidators

What’s driving deals

  • Roll-ups of facilities, tournaments, and academies.
  • Professionalization of travel and club sports.
  • Resilient parent-funded participation spending.

Find Youth Sports Leagues & Organizations acquisition targets

Search Acquisera’s index for companies classified under Youth Sports Leagues & Organizations (2.13.7.4) and build a targeted deal pipeline.

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