As the youth activities industry continues to evolve toward using staff athletics as the foundation for broader community experiences, Unrivaled Sports is purchasing a sprawling Texas house known for its sports tournaments.
In Unrivaled Sports ‘ situation, it’s bought the Rocker B Ranch, a 325-acre “luxury house” west of Fort Worth known for having popular youth football exhibitions while enclosure families in cabins, casitas and a major lodge, replete with a pool, spa services, bar and food truck.
” Rocker B Ranch is one of the most unique views I’ve seen in the youth sports globe”, said Wade Martin, Unrivaled Sports ‘ CEO of baseball, on a phone call. It “refuses to touch on this principle of providing wonderful activities to athletes as well as their families and friends,” we say.
Financial terms of the order from the Byrd family, which has long run the house, aren’t being disclosed, though boys Lance and Bart may continue to operate the house. Rocker B has a reputation for being highly popular for football games, specifically for the 9-to-12 time range. Martin declined to comment on the ranch’s finances, but acknowledged that the ranch’s financial situation, which generates about$ 20 million in revenue, was great.” This is an early-stage business—there are only four grounds,” he said. Also, debate the house is free from estate taxes is bad, too—county data show Rocker B paid its$ 25, 000 judgment in 2024.
Still, the lore around the finances of the ranch stems from its popularity. Rocker B is known for its mountain views and abundant green space, including a lake on the property, which frequently causes sellouts in its peak season of early spring into summer. The ranch typically hosts baseball for about 10 months of the year, with mid-winter and deep summer too cold and too hot, respectively, to generate much activity. The amenities there are attractive enough to make Rocker B a frequent site for weddings and corporate outings.
Unrivaled Sports sees the addition of the ranch, which is its largest property by area, as a key step in the direction of increasing the number of opportunities for youth sports travel. ” We’re only using today 55 of the 325 acres, so it’s got a lot of possibilities to grow”, Martin said. We believe that this has a real chance to become the youth sports Disneyland.
Youth sports is seen across the industry as an area ripe for consolidation, with Mom-and-Pop-run facilities dominating the landscape. According to data from the Sports Events and Tourism Association, youth sports is a$ 52 billion industry in the United States that generates roughly 200 million trips per year. The business is projected to grow nearly 50 % by 2026, according to WinterGreen Research. That’s one of the reasons why other businesses, like Legends-owned ASM Global, are increasingly focusing on youth sports. ASM sees youth sports as the foundation for advancing beyond the realm of stadium management to the sports-destination travel industry. Additionally, real estate developers are focusing more and more on sports. Sports Facilities Companies, a 21-year-old municipal consulting firm and manager of more than 50 sports facilities nationally, said earlier this year that 60 % of its projects in development have some form of mixed-use real estate involved, such as retail, restaurants and hotels.
Unrivaled Sports serves as a purely instrumental role in the development of youth sports. Josh Harris and David Blitzer founded the company earlier this year, and The Chernin Group made an investment. The business also acquired a majority stake in Ripken Baseball and earlier investments by Harris and Blitzer in Cooperstown All Star Village. The business has 12 physical facilities today, including owning fields at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and the Snöbahn Action Sports Center, for skiing and snowboarding, in Colorado.
” Rocker B, Cooperstown All Star Village and Ripken are real good examples of ‘ sports-cation,'” said Martin. There is a huge opportunity to enhance the experience because families spend so much time in youth sports and with their children.
Initial steps under Unrivaled Sports ‘ ownership at Rocker B Ranch include adding more baseball diamonds for the upcoming season and developing lodging options. Longer term, the company also foresees adding rectangular fields to add other sports, such as soccer, according to Martin.