What Rocky Top Sports World does

Rocky Top Sports World is a privately held sports facility and event-services company operating an 80-acre indoor/outdoor sports complex at 1870 Sports World Blvd, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, adjacent to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The venue comprises seven outdoor fields (six synthetic turf, one natural surface), a championship stadium with press box and 1,500-seat capacity, and an 86,000 square foot indoor venue branded 'The Rock' housing six basketball courts and twelve volleyball courts, plus team rooms, bleacher seating, picnic areas, and the on-site Champ's Grill. Core technology is physical infrastructure — synthetic turf, hydraulic basketball goals and adjustable volleyball nets, and a climate-controlled indoor venue — supported by a professional tournament and events staff.

The company generates revenue primarily through hosting youth sports tournaments, leagues, and camps across basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, football, wrestling, and martial arts (stream: professional services / facility rental), with secondary revenue streams from corporate team-building outings, birthday and graduation parties, family reunions, and other private event rentals. Ancillary income is derived from referral or commission arrangements with lodging partners Team Travel Source and T3 Travel, which coordinate hotel, cabin, and condo accommodations for visiting teams, and from on-site food service at Champ's Grill. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per event based on group size, duration, and services required.

Distribution is direct-to-customer through a professional tournament and events team that books event organizers, leagues, schools, homeschool cooperatives, and corporate groups, supplemented by co-marketing with the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and a content-marketing presence (website, blog, Facebook, email newsletter). The customer base is highly diversified across multiple sports, age groups, and event types, with a primary horizontal segment of youth sports teams and families in the Southeast U.S. The company employs 11–50 people, has not raised institutional funding, and shows no evidence of parent-company ownership or M&A activity.

Name

Rocky Top Sports World

Legal name

Rocky Top Sports World

Website

https://rockytopsportsworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rocky Top Sports World operates an 80-acre indoor/outdoor youth sports complex in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, hosting year-round tournaments, leagues, camps, corporate events, and private parties across multiple sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Facilities and Event Management

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Sport Complexes & Community Sports Parks (MPAKAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB), Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth sports tournaments
• Sports facility rentals
• Corporate team building events
• Indoor sports complex
• Youth sports camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatlinburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tournament and Event Hosting: Revenue generated from hosting youth sports tournaments, camps, leagues, and competitive events for various sports including basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, football, and martial arts.
2. Facility Rental and Special Events: Revenue from renting facilities for corporate events, team building outings, birthday parties, graduation parties, family reunions, and other private events.
3. Sports Camps: Revenue from hosting youth sports camps where kids learn skills and techniques in various sports.
4. Lodging Partnership Commissions: Partnership with Team Travel Source to provide hotel accommodations for visiting teams, potentially generating referral or commission revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rocky Top Sports World operates an 80-acre indoor/outdoor sports complex in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, hosting youth tournaments, leagues, and sports camps for basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, football, wrestling, and martial arts. The company also rents its facilities and event-planning services for corporate team building outings and private celebrations such as birthday parties, graduation parties, and family reunions, supported by lodging coordination via a Team Travel Source partnership.

Product overview

Rocky Top Sports World is a sports facility platform consisting of an 80-acre outdoor complex with 7 fields (6 synthetic turf and 1 natural surface) and the 86,000 square foot indoor venue known as 'The Rock' with 6 basketball courts and 12 volleyball courts. The facility offers tournament hosting for multiple sports (soccer, lacrosse, football, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, martial arts), youth sports camps, corporate team building events, and special events including birthday parties and celebrations. Ancillary services include on-site dining (Champ's Grill) and lodging coordination through Team Travel Source.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Rock: The Rock is the name of the 86,000 square foot indoor facility at Rocky Top Sports World, featuring hardwood basketball courts, volleyball courts, team rooms, and the Champ's Grill dining facility.

Products and services

• Tournament Hosting Year-round tournament hosting for youth and adult teams across basketball, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, football, wrestling, martial arts, and related sports, delivered with professional event planning staff at the Gatlinburg complex.
• Youth Sports Camps Instructional youth sports camps covering skill development across multiple sports, hosted on the indoor and outdoor fields at the complex.
• Corporate Team Building Events Customized corporate team building outings featuring activities such as basketball, volleyball, kickball, and soccer, with access to both indoor and outdoor spaces and on-site event planning.
• Special Events and Private Parties Hosting of birthday parties, graduation parties, family reunions, anniversaries, and other private celebrations with access to sports facilities, inflatables, and indoor/outdoor event spaces.
• Rocky Top Sports World Facility Rental Rental of the 80-acre Gatlinburg sports complex, including the 86,000 sq ft indoor venue with 6 basketball courts and 12 volleyball courts, plus 7 outdoor fields (6 synthetic turf, 1 natural surface) and a 1,500-seat championship stadium with press box, available for organized sporting events and large private functions.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Team Travel SourcecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRocky Top Sports World has partnered with Team Travel Source to help visiting teams find the best lodging options near their Gatlinburg sports complex. Team Travel Source provides group pricing, high-quality lodging selection, and variety of options (hotels, cabins, condos) for teams attending tournaments.
• T3 TravelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with T3 Travel (also referred to as T3) to offer visiting teams the best group rates at hotels near the sports complex. T3 Travel provides team travel coordination and discounted rates.
• Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRocky Top Sports World works closely with the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau to ensure events have everything they need to succeed. The CVB provides convention and meeting support for larger events.
• Great Smoky Mountains National ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe sports complex is located at the doorstep of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States. This proximity creates a combined destination offering for visitors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex: Disney-operated multi-sport venue at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Combines tournament hosting with destination tourism the same way Rocky Top pairs competition with Great Smoky Mountains vacationing, serving identical youth sports segments.
• LakePoint Sports Complex: Major multi-sport destination complex in Emerson, GA, in Rocky Top's broader Southeast catchment. Hosts youth baseball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, and other events on synthetic turf fields and indoor courts — directly comparable venue type and target market.
• Spooky Nook Sports: Largest multi-sport complex in the U.S., located in Lancaster, PA (with a newer Hamilton, OH location). Hosts tournaments, leagues, and camps across multiple sports at a single destination facility — the closest business-model comparable to Rocky Top Sports World's 80-acre offering.
• Greensboro Sportsplex: Six-field, multi-sport tournament complex in Greensboro, NC, operated as part of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Competes directly with Rocky Top for youth sports tournaments in the Carolinas/Virginia Southeast catch zone.
• National Sports Center: Blaine, MN-based multi-sport facility featuring the world's largest soccer complex with 60+ fields, ice arena, and indoor facilities. Anchors the NSC Sports Campus for tournament and event hosting in a similar destination-style format.
• Myrtle Beach Sports Center: Indoor multi-sport venue in Myrtle Beach, SC, focused on basketball and volleyball tournaments with on-site restaurants — same Southeast-region destination sports model with strong vacation-area ties that mirror Rocky Top's Gatlinburg positioning.

Others

• Triple Crown Sports: Youth and amateur sports tournament operator that runs events at venues including Rocky Top's competitors. While not a facility itself, it is a meaningful adjacent participant in the tournament-ecosystem that drives Rocky Top's primary revenue.
• AAU (Amateur Athletic Union): National youth sports governing organization running national championship tournaments at venue-operator partners comparable to Rocky Top. Relevant to the same youth sports ecosystem and tournament demand drivers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rockytopsportsworld
• Xx.com/RockyTopSports1

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 Rocky Top Sports World