Next Level Sports & Entertainment

What Next Level Sports & Entertainment does

Next Level Sports and Entertainment Inc. (NLSE) is a privately held U.S. sports media company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Hanover, Maryland. The company operates an integrated cable and digital broadcast platform distributing sports content through its proprietary NLSE+ streaming subscription service and carriage agreements with major U.S. pay-TV and OTT providers including DirecTV, Verizon Fios, FuboTV, and AT&T U-Verse. NLSE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eccalon, a Maryland-based defense contractor led by CEO André Gudger; Michael Blake serves as the operator of NLSE.

The company's content slate spans 14 or more sports disciplines and features broadcast rights to international properties including Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Pacific League (Chiba Lotte Marines, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, ORIX Buffaloes, Saitama Seibu Lions, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles), Germany's easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), and Germany's Daikin Handball-Bundesliga, alongside U.S.-based properties such as Elite High School Basketball, Elite High School Showcase Football, Ultimate Frisbee Association, Australia Beach Volleyball Tour, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and United Fight Alliance. NLSE also created and operates the Next Collegiate League (NCL), an owned-and-operated collegiate lacrosse league with six-a-side matches on smaller fields. Original programming includes docuseries ('All-In,' 'Gearing Up'), magazine shows ('Heroines'), and 'The Truth About...' series, with live broadcasts and real-time statistics delivered via what the company describes as state-of-the-art broadcasting infrastructure.

NLSE's revenue model combines subscription revenue from NLSE+ with content licensing, advertising, and carriage revenue across its linear and digital distribution footprint. The company pursues a dual GTM motion — direct-to-consumer through NLSE+ and event-driven distribution keyed to live leagues — and operates a horizontally segmented audience strategy spanning general sports fans, international sports enthusiasts, and amateur/youth sports followers. Public financial disclosures (revenue, headcount trend, funding history) are not available in the source material; no venture capital backing or public ownership signals are present.

Name

Next Level Sports & Entertainment

Legal name

Next Level Sports and Entertainment Inc.

Website

https://nlse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Next Level Sports & Entertainment (NLSE) is a U.S. sports media company operating the NLSE+ streaming platform and distributing 14+ sports leagues including Japanese NPB and German BBL via DirecTV, Fios, FuboTV, and AT&T U-Verse. It is a subsidiary of Eccalon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Media Streaming

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports OTT & League Pass Streaming Channels (MPABAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

League-Owned Media Networks (e.g., NFL/MLB/NBA/Club Channels) (MPABAJAC), International Sports Broadcasters & Rights Networks (MPABAJAE), Sports OTT Aggregators & Bundling Services (MPAKAOAB)

Keywords

• Live sports streaming
• Sports media network
• Digital sports content
• Sports content licensing
• International sports coverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NLSE+ Streaming Subscription: Subscription-based streaming service providing access to live broadcasts, replays, and original sports content including docuseries and magazine shows
2. Content Licensing: NLSE obtains rights to broadcast international and domestic sports leagues, generating revenue through viewer engagement and advertising across its distribution network

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NLSE operates an integrated linear cable channel and the NLSE+ direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service that delivers 24/7 live and on-demand coverage of more than 14 sports leagues, including international properties such as Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), and Handball Bundesliga, alongside original docuseries and magazine programming. The platform reaches viewers through NLSE+ and through distribution partnerships with DirecTV, Verizon Fios, FuboTV, and AT&T U-Verse, covering 1,000+ elite athletes across mainstream and niche sports.

Product overview

NLSE is a sports media broadcast company offering a digital streaming platform and content partnerships across multiple leagues. The core product consists of the NLSE+ subscription streaming service combined with coverage of over 14 sports leagues including Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), Daikin Handball-Bundesliga, Australia Beach Volleyball Tour, Ultimate Frisbee Association, Elite High School Basketball, Elite High School Showcase (Football), Elite High School Lacrosse, Next Collegiate League (NCL), NLSE Boxing Archives, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and United Fight Alliance. The platform provides live game broadcasts, sports commentary, talk shows, documentaries, and highlight reels 24/7.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NLSE+: Premium subscription platform offering exclusive sports content, live games, and original programming including docuseries.

Products and services

• NLSE+ Streaming Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Coverage of over 14 sports disciplines with over 1,000 elite athletes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLSE holds content rights to broadcast NPB Pacific League games featuring teams including Chiba Lotte Marines, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, ORIX Buffaloes, Saitama Seibu Lions, and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
• easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga (BBL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLSE distributes content from Germany's top-tier professional basketball league, known for competitive play and strong fan support with domestic and international players.
• Daikin Handball-BundesligacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop German professional handball league, now 60 years old, featuring elite international players. Daikin became the league's sponsor in 2024.
• Next Collegiate League (NCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLSE's own innovative collegiate lacrosse league featuring six-a-side matches on smaller fields with emphasis on speed, skill, and high-scoring action.
• Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent distribution partnership for ultimate frisbee league coverage.
• Australia Beach Volleyball TourminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational volleyball tour based in Australia featuring men's, women's, and mixed competitions.
• Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased out of Philadelphia, BKFC is the first promotion to showcase an official state and commissioned bare knuckle boxing event.
• United Fight AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCombat sports league content distribution partnership.
• Elite High School Sports PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNLSE operates Elite High School Basketball (featuring country's best teams, players, and coaches) and Elite High School Showcase Football (Top 25 teams and Top 100 players in the U.S.), and Elite High School Lacrosse.
• DirecTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarriage distribution agreement for NLSE content through DirecTV satellite television platform.
• Verizon FioscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarriage distribution agreement for NLSE content through Verizon Fios fiber optic television service.
• FuboTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partnership with internet TV streaming platform FuboTV for NLSE sports content.
• AT&T U-VersecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarriage distribution agreement for NLSE content through AT&T U-Verse television service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FuboTV: Sports-focused internet TV streaming platform; both a NLSE distribution partner and a competitor in delivering live sports to OTT audiences.
• Bally Sports: Regional sports network (Diamond Sports) offering live game broadcasts via cable and streaming; comparable in carriage-based distribution of sports content, though focused on US regional pro sports.
• ESPN+: Disney's direct-to-consumer sports streaming service offering live games, originals, and on-demand content; dominant incumbent in sports streaming with which NLSE competes for both rights and subscribers.

Direct peers

• FloSports: Subscription streaming service specializing in niche and underserved sports (lacrosse, wrestling, volleyball, etc.); highly comparable business model of aggregating niche sports rights for a subscription audience.
• DAZN: Global sports OTT streaming platform with rights to international and niche sports leagues; competes directly with NLSE in distributing international sports content to US and global audiences via subscription.
• Stadium: Multi-platform sports broadcasting network delivering live games, original programming, and highlights across digital and TV channels; highly comparable in operating model and content breadth.
• Tennis Channel: Niche single-sport TV and streaming network; comparable as a focused sports content network distributed via TV carriage with a dedicated streaming product.
• beIN Sports: International sports broadcaster with rights to soccer, handball, and other global sports; comparable in focusing on international/niche sports distribution via TV carriage and streaming.

Regional players

• New England Sports Network (NESN): Regional sports network providing live game coverage and original content via cable carriage and streaming; comparable in integrating content production with multi-platform distribution.
• Pittsburgh's CW (formerly AT&T SportsNet): Regional sports network distributed via cable/satellite providers; comparable in carriage-based distribution model and live game broadcast focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/itsnxtlevel
• Facebookfacebook.com/nlsetelevision
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/next-level-sports-entertainment
• Instagraminstagram.com/nlsetv

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 Next Level Sports & Entertainment