Brands in the spirits, music, and fashion industries often pop up at sports events like the Super Bowl or the NBA All-Star Game. But there's another demographic of die-hard sports fans who can sometimes be lost in these types of adult-centric parties and activations: kids.
Sports have long been a great way to bring together multiple generations—and several brands have recognized that in recent years, hosting fun, kid-centric programming surrounding major sporting events. Here's a look at some of our favorite ways brands have engaged young sports fans in recent years.
At NBA Crossover—a multiday family-friendly fan event held at the Indiana Convention Center during the 2024 All-Star Game in February—AT&T offered two immersive games highlighting the Eastern and Western conferences. Fans could experience the new immersive AT&T gameplay experience, Dribble Town, where avatars of iconic NBA players like Paul George acted as their guide and motivator throughout the game, offering real-time feedback and commentary. There was also AT&T Splashville (pictured), a virtual court experience; fans competed as their favorite Western Conference player, scored points, collected trophies, and raced against the clock for a chance to get their player into the NBA All-Star Game. Wasserman led project management, creative, production, and execution.
Photo: Courtesy of AT&T
Also at NBA Crossover was the All-Star mural, sponsored by AT&T, which allowed fans to interact in two ways: Selfie Mode or World View Mode. In Selfie Mode, a blank mural background set the stage for fans' creation; when they switched to World View Mode, the mural came to life via AR, and fans could digitally "paint it" using the paint bucket tool. Once completed, they could switch back to Selfie Mode to admire the collaborative masterpiece.
Photo: Courtesy of AT&T
Also during NBA All-Star Weekend 2024, Netflix partnered with the local Irsay Family YMCA to host a youth sports camp in Indianapolis to celebrate the then-upcoming series Avatar: The Last Airbender. Youth from local Indiana organizations had the unique opportunity to participate in basketball, yoga, and mindfulness activities with Yvonne Rodriguez from Invoke Studio with an assist from 2024 NBA Rising Star Jaime Jaquez Jr., 2024 NBA All-Star and Indiana Pacer Myles Turner (pictured), and Indiana Fever's Erica Wheeler. The experience was themed around reaching “Avatar State,” the mental state of having a positive mindset and passion for whatever you pursue. See more: NBA All-Star Weekend 2024: See How Brands Leveled Up Their Activation Game
Photo: Michael Hickey/Getty Images for Netflix
Last month's party-filled Super Bowl weekend in Sin City wasn't always the most kid-friendly environment—but a standout moment came from Paramount+, the official streaming home of this year's big game. A special kids and family presentation of the game was hosted on Nickelodeon, which popped up during the "Expedition Vegas" fan experience. Within the broader fan-focused activation was Paramount+’s The Lodge, produced by 15/40, which had a Nickelodeon kids’ zone. See more: Super Bowl LVIII: How Brands, Athletes, and Other A-Listers Celebrated in Vegas
Photo: Line 8 Photography
In January 2023, Universal CityWalk in Orlando was home to a Premier League Mornings Live fan fest for two days, celebrating fans of world-class soccer. Throughout the event, more than 9,600 fans of all ages enjoyed eight massive LED screens for live match viewing, plus on-site consumer activations, talent meet-and-greets, player visits, free merchandise, and more. The Premier League fan fest events are purposely kept family-friendly, the organizers told BizBash—noting that several experiential offerings were particularly popular with younger fans, like photo ops with the Premier League club mascots and the Premier League trophy, EA Sports-sponsored gaming stations featuring FIFA 23, airbrush tattoos, and a football pitch sponsored by Nike (pictured). See more: How NBC Sports and Premier League Hosted a Huge Fan Event Inside a Theme Park
Photo: Lotus Eyes Photography
During the 2022 US Open in New York, American Express helmed Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, powered by Net Generation, with a US Open American Express Fan Experience that was free and open to the public. The event welcomed more than 30,000 tennis fans to spaces like a "Glow Tennis" court with a tennis-inspired digital and physical hybrid game that organizers say was particularly popular with children. Other highlights included an arcade-style “Trick Shot” game, an oversize Connect 4 board, and a full-size tennis court programmed by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The credit card company tapped Momentum Worldwide to conceptualize and execute the fan experiences during Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, as well as all of Amex's other on-site experiences throughout the US Open. See more: US Open 2022: See Inside the Events and Activations That Made a Grand Slam
Photo: Courtesy of American Express
This year's NHL All-Star Weekend, held in Toronto in February, had a number of interactive games and kid-friendly activations. A highlight was a four-day showcase of NHL Street, the league's official youth street hockey league for kids age 8 to 12; the space gave kids the chance to participate in games and other activities. (In partnership with RCX Sports—and with support from Tim Hortons and Hyundai—NHL Street provides kids and their families across North America the chance to suit up in authentic uniforms to play in neighborhood leagues.)
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@nhlstreet
As the official automotive partner of the NHL in Canada, Hyundai Canada was the title sponsor of this year's NHL Fan Fair, hosting a number of activations during NHL All-Star Weekend. Fans were able to interact with Spot, the Agile Mobile Robot from Boston Dynamics, and participate in a "Pack and Play" game featuring the Hyundai Palisade. There was also a recognition wall where attendees could pay tribute to someone who helps "drive" the game of hockey forward. Plus, the auto brand covered the cost for 400 diverse youth hockey players from the Greater Toronto Area to attend the Fan Fair. Hyundai worked with experience design agencies kubik and Midnight Circus on the activations. See more: 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend: Where Brands Engaged Hockey Fans of All Ages
Photo: Courtesy of Hyundai Canada
The 88th edition of the annual meeting of NFL franchises was held in Kansas City, Mo., in April 2023. The outdoor NFL Draft spanned 3 million square feet and included the family-friendly Chiefs Kingdom Experience, the largest on-site, club-sponsored draft activation in NFL history. Highlights included a life-size bobblehead of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, plus a photo wall map where fans were able to stick Polaroids to show where they had traveled from. See more: How the 2023 NFL Draft Grew Bigger and Better with Fan Activations
Photo: Courtesy of Chiefs.com
The MLB FoodFest took place in Los Angeles in 2019, offering activities such as the oversize "Weiner-totter." MKG produced the event, which gave fans of all ages the opportunity to taste special menu items from all 30 ballparks in one indoor space.
Photo: Tyler Curtis
