The youth and amateur sports technology landscape is at an inflection point. Although youth and sports organizations have embraced technology to power their teams, our research suggests there's a significant gap between what these platforms offer and what their users actually want. The data tells a compelling story: livestreaming represents a sizeable growth opportunity in youth sports technology, yet it remains underserved by existing platforms.

The Market Potential is Massive

Our recent market report illuminated a critical insight about livestreaming and why it remains underutilized: this isn't a demand problem, it's a supply problem.

Among those who are not currently livestreaming (78% of the market), nearly two-thirds express positive interest in adoption. Specifically:

• 32% are interested
• 31% are very interested
• Only 14% have no interest

This represents millions of potential users across the estimated 45+ million youth athletes in organized sports programs nationwide. For sports technology providers, this translates into feature differentiation, as well as an untapped revenue stream.

Current Solutions Are Failing Users

Facebook Live (29%) and YouTube Live (27%) account for over half of all streaming usage, primarily because they're free…not because they're good. These livestreaming platforms may be dominating the market, but are fundamentally misaligned with user needs.

The evidence of user dissatisfaction is eye-opening:

• 60% cite video quality as their top improvement priority
• 34% identify cost as a major pain point (despite using "free" platforms)
• 41% experience technical difficulties and glitches during use

Based on our data, users are settling for inadequate solutions because better alternatives don't exist in their workflow.

A High Growth Value Creation Opportunity

The convergence of latent demand and digital innovation presents compelling value creation for teams, leagues, and technology providers. Market dynamics indicate strong tailwinds: the Sports Online Video Streaming Market is experiencing accelerated growth at 24.64% CAGR, expanding from $27.93 billion in 2024 to a projected $133.98 billion by 2031. This growth trajectory, combined with consumer appetite to invest in youth sports, creates a perfect storm of opportunity.

So, what does this mean if you’re coaching a team, managing a league, or building solutions for sports? We estimate that youth and amateur sports organizations can capture significant upside with incremental annual revenue in the range $10,500-$44,575 within a three-year implementation horizon. A winning strategy combines multiple offerings including pay-per-view access ($5-$10 per event), subscription based season passes ($40-$75), local sponsorship partnerships ($500-$1,000 per sponsor), and premium features such as AI integration.

For sports technology and anyone who uses it, livestreaming isn't just another feature, but a way to position themselves at the center of a holistic sports experience that caters to both athletes and fans. In our next post, we'll examine the three major barriers that have prevented widespread livestreaming adoption, and explore how sports technology platforms are uniquely positioned to solve each one.