247 Sports

What 247 Sports does

247Sports, operated by CBT Sports, LLC, is a digital media platform focused exclusively on U.S. college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Founded in 2010 and acquired by CBS Interactive in December 2015, the company is a subsidiary within Paramount Global and is headquartered at 330 Commerce Street, Nashville, Tennessee. The platform serves dedicated college sports fans, recruiting analysts, scouts, and team-specific fan communities with content ranging from free recruiting news and player rankings to VIP-gated insider analysis and community message boards. The company describes itself as a top-10 overall digital sports media brand according to comScore, reaching "millions of fans" through team-specific subsites, newsletters, podcasts, social platforms, text alerts, and mobile distribution.

The core product is the 247Sports Network — a platform-plus-modules architecture built around proprietary recruiting data infrastructure. Key technical components include the Composite Rankings system (a weighted consensus algorithm aggregating 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN ratings), the Crystal Ball Prediction Engine (aggregating expert predictions on prospect commitments), the Transfer Portal database (tracking NCAA player movement with top, position, and team rankings), and an extensive searchable Player Database covering high school and college prospects with recruiting histories, statistics, and commitment records. Supporting modules include team-specific branded sites (e.g., BuffInsider, Lions247, Husker247), daily email newsletters, a podcast network, SMS text alerts, and VIP-only community forums (The Blue Board and The Green Board). Content is distributed through the 247Sports website, mobile applications, and an exclusive content integration with CBSSports.com.

247Sports operates a freemium, product-led growth business model. Free content drives top-of-funnel acquisition, while an annual auto-renewing VIP Membership — promoted at 50% off the first year and bundled with a complementary Paramount+ Premium subscription for U.S. residents — provides premium access to insider scoops, exclusive recruiting coverage, and message board privileges. Secondary revenue streams include display advertising, sponsored content, and a portfolio of affiliate partnerships linking to CBS Sports Betting/SportsLine, StubHub ticketing, and Fanatics merchandise. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and VIP memberships carry no-refund terms. Select customer logos, enterprise contracts, and named B2B data licensing counterparties are not disclosed in the available data, though the company indicates its rankings and player data are referenced by other sports media outlets.

Name

247 Sports

Legal name

CBT Sports, LLC

Website

https://247sports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

247Sports is a U.S. college football and basketball recruiting content platform operated by CBS Interactive, serving millions of fans with proprietary player rankings, the Crystal Ball prediction engine, Transfer Portal coverage, and a freemium VIP subscription including a Paramount+ bundle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Recruiting Media

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

College & University Sports Networks (Conference/School-Owned) (MPABAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletic Recruitment & NCAA/NAIA Eligibility Counseling (EDANAEAM), College Recruiting & Scholarship Advisory / Athlete Placement (HSADAEAL)

Keywords

• College sports recruiting
• Athletic recruiting rankings
• Sports news media
• Player recruitment data
• College athletics coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Brentwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. VIP Subscription Revenue: Annual and multi-year VIP subscriptions providing premium access to insider recruiting analysis, exclusive content, community message boards, and bonus features. Memberships auto-renew and include complementary Paramount+ Premium subscription for US residents.
2. Advertising and Sponsorships: Display advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate partnerships through the website and newsletter. Includes links to StubHub, Fanatics, SportsLine, and betting services.
3. Data Licensing: 247Sports player data and rankings are referenced and utilized by other sports media outlets and platforms, creating potential licensing revenue opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

247 Sports operates an online destination for college sports recruiting news, prospect rankings, and prediction content covering college football, college basketball, and other NCAA sports. The platform aggregates scouting data, expert predictions, and transfer portal information, monetizing primarily through VIP memberships, advertising, and content licensing.

Product overview

247Sports is a college sports news and recruiting content network operated by CBS Interactive, featuring a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on its core 247Sports Network. The platform's primary offerings include comprehensive recruiting coverage with the Composite Rankings system (aggregating 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN ratings), the Crystal Ball Prediction Engine for commitment forecasting, Transfer Portal tracking, and an extensive Player Database. Premium access is provided through VIP Membership, which unlocks insider scoops, all network content, recruiting coverage, and community boards. Supporting modules include team-specific podcasts (Husker247, Lions247, BuffInsider), daily newsletters, text alerts, and VIP message boards (The Blue Board, The Green Board). The platform also offers historical recruiting archives and recruiter rankings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BuffInsider: Colorado Buffaloes Football Recruiting site
• Lions247
• Husker247

Products and services

• 247Sports VIP Membership
• Crystal Ball Prediction Engine
• Composite Player Rankings
• Transfer Portal Coverage Coverage and tracking of NCAA transfer portal activity, providing real-time updates, player movement news, and destination predictions for athletes changing schools.
• 247Sports Player Database Searchable database of high school and college athlete profiles with biographical data, performance metrics, ratings, and recruitment status.
• 247Sports Mobile App Mobile application providing on-the-go access to recruiting news, rankings, predictions, and push notifications for college sports recruiting updates.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CBS InteractivecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2015247Sports was acquired by CBS Interactive in December 2015. The partnership provides exclusive content integration with CBSSports.com, leveraging CBS Sports brand authority and distribution scale. This acquisition positioned 247Sports within CBS Interactive's multi-platform offerings and expanded its reach through CBS network properties.
• Paramount+minorGTM or Marketing Partner247Sports VIP membership includes a complementary Paramount+ Premium subscription for US residents as a membership benefit. This partnership provides added value to VIP subscribers, offering streaming access to over 40,000 episodes and movies plus live TV including UEFA Champions League, NCAA March Madness, UFC, and NFL on CBS. Activation is available after promotional discounts expire.
• CBS Sports BettingminorGTM or Marketing Partner247Sports website includes promotional links to SportsLine betting odds and CBS Sports Betting platform, creating affiliate revenue relationships with sports betting partners.
• StubHubminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor247Sports includes affiliate links to StubHub for ticket purchases, generating referral revenue when users purchase tickets throughStubHub links.
• FanaticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor247Sports includes promotional links to Fanatics merchandise store, creating affiliate revenue opportunities from sports merchandise purchases.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Prep Hoops: Prep Hoops provides high school basketball recruiting rankings, player evaluations, and event coverage with regional focus; it overlaps with 247Sports' basketball recruiting vertical but at a more localized, basketball-only scope.
• On3: On3 is a venture-backed emerging college sports media platform that has rapidly built out recruiting rankings, NIL valuations, and transfer portal coverage, directly competing with 247Sports for the same college sports fan and analyst audience.

Broad incumbents

• MaxPreps: MaxPreps is a CBS Interactive sister property providing high school sports statistics, rankings, and coverage across multiple sports; while broader than 247Sports' recruiting focus, it serves overlapping athletes, coaches, and families in the high school sports content ecosystem.
• Bleacher Report: Bleacher Report is a Turner Sports property providing broad digital sports media coverage including college football and basketball recruiting content; it competes with 247Sports for college sports fan engagement and advertising inventory.
• The Athletic: The Athletic is a subscription-based sports media company owned by The New York Times that covers college sports extensively including recruiting and transfer portal coverage; while broader in scope, it competes for the same paying college sports fan demographic.
• Sports Illustrated (SI): SI covers college sports recruiting, NIL, and the transfer portal across football and basketball; while a broader sports media brand, it competes with 247Sports for advertising dollars and audience attention in the college sports recruiting space.
• ESPN Recruiting: ESPN operates college recruiting rankings, scouting reports, and team-specific recruiting coverage as part of its broader sports media portfolio; it is one of the three services (along with 247Sports and Rivals) whose ratings feed the Composite Rankings algorithm.

Direct peers

• NCSA Athletic Recruiting: NCSA is a direct competitor focused on connecting high school athletes with college recruiting opportunities, providing recruiting profiles, coach outreach tools, and educational content, targeting similar athletes and parents in the college recruitment journey.
• Rivals: Rivals is a direct competitor in college sports recruiting rankings, expert analysis, and team-specific fan communities; their ratings are even aggregated into 247Sports' own Composite Rankings, underscoring the direct rivalry in recruiting data and content.

Others

• Field Level Media: Field Level Media provides sports content, data feeds, and editorial services to sports media outlets; it is an ecosystem participant in the sports content supply chain that could either source recruiting data from 247Sports or compete for the same niche audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/247Sports
• YouTubeyoutube.com/247sports
• Facebookfacebook.com/247Sports
• Instagraminstagram.com/247sports
• TikToktiktok.com/@247sports?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/247sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 247 Sports