Dick’s Sporting Goods acquires team business tech firm

Back in January, Dick’s Sporting Goods launched Team Sports HQ in an effort to capture the nation’s lucrative youth sports league business. Today the company announced the purchase of the tech to get it there.



Affinity Sports, acquired by Dick’s’ for an undisclosed price, creates software that facilitates the registration, scheduling, and communication processes between national or regional governing bodies and their associated leagues. Dick’s aims to close the loop in this system via HQ that will let leagues design gear and coaches and parents order uniforms from Dick’s on team websites.



“The acquisition of Affinity Sports will help us to deliver an unparalleled service to some of the largest youth sports organizations in the country," said Dick’s CEO Edward Stack in a statement announcing the acquisition.



It will also allow Dick’s to grab a huge share of a strong and steady business. In a 2013 study, Turbo Tax determined that 20 million U.S. children ages 6 to 16 participated in organized, out-of-school sports and that their parents spent an average of $671 a year outfitting them.