Nexstar Competition
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersXenia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Nexstar Competition does
Nexstar Competition (legal name: Nexstar National Talent and Dance Competition) is a privately held U.S. dance competition operator founded in 2001 by Kent Helton and headquartered at 851 Bellbrook Ave, Xenia, Ohio. The company runs a regional competition circuit spanning 35+ U.S. cities across 20+ states, with routines qualifying into five 2026 National Finals held at premium venues including Kalahari Resorts (Round Rock, TX and Sandusky, OH), Gatlinburg Convention Center, Walt Disney World Dolphin (Orlando, FL), and Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Top performers advance to the World Dance Championship via Golden Tickets. Nexstar operates within the DanceOne / Star Dance Alliance (SDA) ecosystem, which provides shared rules, the DanceBug registration platform, and the DanceOne Travel / EventPipe hotel booking infrastructure.
The technology stack is a conventional, integration-heavy web platform: a WordPress-based website fronting a DanceBug-powered registration portal that handles studio accounts, routine entry, music uploads, and roster management, with CloudFlare for web performance/security and Google Analytics for traffic monitoring. Proprietary features center on workflow automation rather than advanced technology: a tiered pricing engine with automatic balance charging based on registration timing, a roster-based leveling system applying the 1/3 rule for routine classification, and a livestreaming add-on for remote audience reach.
Nexstar's revenue model is primarily transactional and event-driven. Studios pay per-routine entry fees that scale across three registration date tiers (60+, 30-59, and 29 or fewer days before event), with a $10 non-refundable deposit per routine to secure a spot. Recurring revenue comes from the DanceOne Season Media Pass (per dancer, per season) and change/late fees ($10-$50). Ancillary revenue streams include Title, Headshot, and Costume competition entry fees, routine and prop extended-time fees ($5-$100), merchandise, and program sales. Distribution is entirely direct via the Nexstar website portal, with all registrations flowing through the company's own infrastructure and no third-party reseller channel. The go-to-market is event-driven, with a multi-city event calendar (February-July) reaching customers directly through dance studio networks.
Nexstar Competition firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nexstar Competition
- Legal name
- Nexstar National Talent and Dance Competition
- Website
- https://nexstarcompetition.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nexstar Competition industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dance Competition Services
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)
Keywords
Where Nexstar Competition is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Xenia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nexstar Competition business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Competition Entry Fees: Dance studios pay per routine to enter regional and national competitions. Entry fees are tiered based on how far in advance registration is finalized (Tier 1: 60+ days, Tier 2: 30-59 days, Tier 3: 29 or fewer days before the event). A $10 non-refundable deposit per routine guarantees a spot. Full payment and music upload are required to confirm entries.
- DanceOne Season Media Pass: Required once per season, per dancer, for unlimited photos and videos. This is a per-dancer recurring fee within each competition season.
- Change and Late Fees: Fees charged for changes made within 30 days of an event: $10 per change (30 days out), $25 per change (20 days out), $50 per change (under 10 days). Prop extended time fees ($25-$100) and returned e-check penalties ($50) also apply.
- Merchandise and Program Sales: The company sells souvenir programs and merchandise through shop.dance.one and related storefronts. Revenue from branded merchandise and program guides.
- Title and Headshot/Costume Competition Fees: Separate registration fees for Title Competition, Headshot Competition, and Costume Competition entries, charged per entry at regional and national events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Tier 1 — Early Registration (60+ days before event) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Tier 2 — Standard Registration (30–59 days before event) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Tier 3 — Late Registration (29 or fewer days before event) |
| Subscription | Annual | DanceOne Season Media Pass — per dancer, per season |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Routine Extended Time — $5 per performer per 30-second increment |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Prop Extended Time — $25 to $100 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Change Fees — $10 to $50 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Nexstar Competition product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nexstar Competition operates a regional-to-national dance competition circuit across 35+ U.S. cities, culminating in five national championships and a World Dance Championship pathway. The company provides structured, tiered competitive events for dance studios and individual dancers across multiple age divisions, skill levels (Showcase, Competitive, Elite), and 20+ performance categories, with qualified judging, professional adjudication, and a centralized rules framework under the Star Dance Alliance. Supporting services include live streaming, online registration via DanceBug, hotel booking via DanceOne Travel/EventPipe, media passes, and merchandise sales.
Product overview
Nexstar Competition operates a platform-plus-events model for dance and talent competitions. The core offering consists of Regional Dance Competitions held across dozens of U.S. cities, which feed into National Championships (held at venues in Round Rock TX, Sandusky OH, Gatlinburg TN, Orlando FL, and Myrtle Beach SC), culminating in a World Dance Championship. The platform is built on the Star Dance Alliance (SDA) shared framework and ruleset, which standardizes registration, scoring, age divisions, and competition levels across all events. Supporting services include a Livestream add-on for remote viewing, DanceOne Travel (powered by EventPipe) for hotel bookings, a DanceBug-powered studio portal for registration management, and SDA Charity Events including Janie's Fund partnerships. The company is part of the DanceOne family of companies and utilizes DanceOne-branded infrastructure throughout.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- National Dance Competitions (Regional Circuit) Regional dance competitions held across 35+ U.S. cities where dance studios and individual dancers compete in 20+ performance categories (jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, acro, etc.) across age divisions (4 and under through 50+) and skill levels (Showcase, Competitive, Elite). Qualifying routines advance to National Championships.
- National Championships Annual championship events held at five major U.S. venues (Round Rock TX, Sandusky OH, Gatlinburg TN, Orlando FL, Myrtle Beach SC) where routines that qualify at regional events compete for titles and Golden Tickets to the World Dance Championship.
- World Dance Championship International championship competition for routines that received Golden Ticket invitations or won first place at two or more regional events across the Star Dance Alliance brand network.
- Livestream Live streaming service allowing remote viewing of dance competitions for audiences who cannot attend in person, extending reach beyond in-person attendees.
- DanceOne Travel / EventPipe Hotel Booking Hotel reservation system powered by EventPipe that allows studios and families to book multiple rooms across DanceOne events in a single transaction, with real-time availability and instant confirmation.
- DanceBug Studio Portal Studio management portal for managing registrations, routines, and making global changes to entries across Nexstar competition events.
- Nexstar Merchandise and Souvenir Programs Branded merchandise and souvenir program sales for dance studios, dancers, and families through shop.dance.one and related storefronts.
Companies that use Nexstar Competition
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nexstar Competition technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Nexstar Competition partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DanceOne (dance.one)coreNexstar Competition is an A DanceOne Company, meaning it operates within the DanceOne ecosystem alongside other Star Dance Alliance competition brands. DanceOne provides shared infrastructure including the registration portal (DanceBug integration), the DanceOne Travel hotel booking platform (EventPipe), a centralized rules framework (Star Dance Alliance), and cross-brand charity initiatives (Janie's Fund). The parent company oversees brand coordination, media passes, and strategic direction.
- Kalahari Resorts & ConventionscoreKalahari Resorts hosts two of Nexstar's five 2026 National Finals: Round Rock, TX (June 19-23) at Kalahari Resort Round Rock (3001 Kalahari Boulevard) and Sandusky, OH (June 24-29) at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Ohio (7000 Kalahari Dr). The venues provide convention center space, water park attractions, and lodging for attendees.
- Walt Disney World Dolphin ResortcoreThe Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort serves as the venue for the Orlando, FL National Finals (July 10-14, 2026). Located between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios, the hotel provides convention facilities and is adjacent to Orlando International Airport. Nexstar also promotes discounted Disney theme park tickets through a group booking code.
- Gatlinburg Convention CentercoreThe Gatlinburg Convention Center (234 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN) hosts the Gatlinburg, TN National Finals (July 2-6, 2026). The venue offers over 148,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and is within walking distance of downtown Gatlinburg attractions.
- Myrtle Beach Convention Center / Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center HotelcoreThe Myrtle Beach Convention Center (2101 N Oak St, Myrtle Beach, SC) hosts the Myrtle Beach, SC National Finals (July 17-21, 2026). With over 250,000 square feet of convention space, the venue is one of the largest southeast convention centers and is adjacent to South Carolina's coast.
- Star Dance AlliancecoreStar Dance Alliance (SDA) is the governing rules and competition framework shared across DanceOne competition brands. Nexstar operates under SDA rules and regulations, which cover 19 sections including registration, scheduling, fees, leveling, age divisions, scoring, protest policy, props, nationals, and codes of conduct. The SDA framework provides standardized competition structure across all member brands.
- DanceOne Travel / EventPipecoreDanceOne Travel powered by EventPipe provides the hotel booking infrastructure for Nexstar events. Studios and families can book multiple rooms in one transaction, manage reservations across DanceOne events, edit guest info, and receive instant EventPipe confirmation. Questions are directed to [email protected].
- Janie's Fund / Youth VillagesminorJanie's Fund is a charitable initiative of the Star Dance Alliance (DanceOne), in partnership with Youth Villages, supporting youth in need. Nexstar promotes SDA Charity Events including Dance-a-Thon events tied to Janie's Fund, reflecting the company's community and social impact commitment.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nexstar Competition competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KAR Dance Competition: National dance competition brand with regional events and a national championship, competing for the same dance studio customers and competing on similar venue quality.
- Showstoppers Dance Competition: Long-running U.S. dance competition operator running regional events feeding into a national championship, with comparable age divisions, performance categories, and studio-focused registration model.
- Tremaine Dance Competition: Established national dance competition brand with regional qualifying events and a national finals structure serving dance studios across multiple U.S. states — direct competitor for studio routine registrations.
- Starbound National Talent Competition: Operates a similar regional-to-national dance and talent competition circuit across the United States, targeting dance studios with tiered entry fees and a multi-city nationals schedule.
- Believe Dance Competition: National dance competition brand with regional events and a national championship, targeting the same dance studio and family demographic as Nexstar.
- Masquerade Dance Competition: Regional-to-national dance competition operator with comparable age/category structure, studio-direct registration model, and destination-style nationals.
- Rainbow National Dance Competition: National dance competition circuit with regional events feeding into a national finals — competing head-to-head with Nexstar for dance studio registrations in overlapping U.S. geographies.
- Starpower Competition: U.S. dance competition brand operating regionals and nationals, with comparable age divisions, performance categories, and studio-direct business model.
- Nuvo Dance Competition: National dance competition running a regional circuit culminating in a finals event, with similar tiered pricing and age/category structure to Nexstar.
Broad incumbents
- Varsity Spirit: Large, established operator in the school and studio dance/cheer event space with national reach, overlapping into dance competition and event production as part of a broader spirit-sports portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nexstar Competition social profiles
Digital presenceNexstar Competition financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nexstar Competition leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Nexstar Competition funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nexstar Competition M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nexstar Competition
What does Nexstar Competition do?
Nexstar Competition operates a regional-to-national dance competition circuit across 35+ U.S. cities, culminating in five national championships and a World Dance Championship pathway. The company provides structured, tiered competitive events for dance studios and individual dancers across multiple age divisions, skill levels (Showcase, Competitive, Elite), and 20+ performance categories, with qualified judging, professional adjudication, and a centralized rules framework under the Star Dance Alliance. Supporting services include live streaming, online registration via DanceBug, hotel booking via DanceOne Travel/EventPipe, media passes, and merchandise sales.
Is Nexstar Competition a public or private company?
Nexstar Competition is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Nexstar Competition founded?
Nexstar Competition was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Nexstar Competition based?
Nexstar Competition is headquartered in Xenia, United States, in the North America region.
How does Nexstar Competition make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Competition Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are danceOne Season Media Pass, change and Late Fees, merchandise and Program Sales and title and Headshot/Costume Competition Fees.
Who are Nexstar Competition's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KAR Dance Competition, Showstoppers Dance Competition, Tremaine Dance Competition, Starbound National Talent Competition, Believe Dance Competition, Masquerade Dance Competition, Rainbow National Dance Competition, Starpower Competition and Nuvo Dance Competition. Varsity Spirit is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Nexstar Competition have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nexstar Competition.
What industry is Nexstar Competition in?
Nexstar Competition's product category is Dance Competition Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGADAH, Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports), with a secondary code of MPAGADAJ, Dance Festivals & Dance Series. Its NAICS code is 711320 and its SIC code is 7900.