What National Sports Services, L.l.c. does

National Sports Services, L.L.C. (NSS) is a privately held specialty consulting firm founded in 1998 and headquartered at 1479 Legends Circle in Lawrence, Kansas. The firm was formed through the merger of Bill Davidson's Sports Marketing Solutions and Matt Perry's Sports Enterprises, and is led today by three principals: CEO Bill Davidson, President Matt Perry, and CFO Dan Roman. NSS delivers a portfolio of professional services to the sports industry rather than a software or technology product; its capabilities are grounded in the principals' combined 60+ years of operating experience across 50+ sports franchises, eight new stadium openings, and over 20 million fans entertained.

The company's core offerings span the full sports franchise and facility lifecycle. Team Consulting Services cover franchise buying and selling, capital raising, financial projections, valuation, lease negotiations, and major sponsorship sales. Facility Development Services run from concept through opening, including feasibility analysis, site selection, programming, architect selection, and construction negotiation. Market Analysis Services provide trade-area, demographic, and competition assessments for municipalities and private developers. A productized Audio & Video Technology offering includes four videoboard procurement packages (a $5,000 flat-fee assessment up to percentage-based turnkey buyer-agent representation). Supporting offerings include Sponsorship & Premium Sales, Lease Negotiations, and Event Experience Management. Notable engagements include the Loeb Stadium (Lafayette, IN), Harrisburg Senators operations under Michael Reinsdorf, the Wilmington Sharks (acquired 2017, sold 2024 at 4x purchase price), the Kane County Cougars sale (March 2025, the largest acquisition price in independent professional baseball history), and ongoing master development work for the Fort Smith, Arkansas riverfront project with Mammoth Sports Construction.

NSS generates revenue through a mix of professional-services fees, transaction-based brokerage commissions, percentage-based videoboard procurement take-rates, and managed-services arrangements for franchise operations. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven: principals engage directly with municipal leaders, franchise owners, and private developers, supplemented by referrals from senior sports executives (e.g., Michael Reinsdorf, Mayor Jim Smith, Toby Jeffreys) and speaking presence at industry conferences. Customer segments span municipal/public-sector clients, sports franchises and teams, and private developers/investors, with engagements spanning minor league baseball (affiliated, independent, summer collegiate), professional and junior hockey, NBA G League, and arena football. The firm has also held minority equity positions in franchise ownership — including the Lafayette Aviators, Johnstown Mill Rats, Wilmington Sharks, Gwinnett Gladiators, and a co-founded Mid-America League (divested after its 2024 inaugural season) — reflecting an opportunistic balance between advisory and principal-investor roles.

Name

National Sports Services, L.l.c.

Legal name

National Sports Services, L.L.C.

Website

https://nsssports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

National Sports Services is a Lawrence, Kansas-based sports industry consulting firm providing franchise brokerage, facility development, market feasibility, videoboard procurement, and sponsorship sales services to municipalities, sports franchises, and private developers across minor league baseball, hockey, and basketball.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Consulting Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Services, Nec (8900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sponsorship Sales, Valuation & Analytics Services (Rights Sales, Measurement, Consulting) (MPAKALAK), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

Keywords

• Sports consulting
• Facility development
• Sponsorship sales
• Franchise brokering
• Market feasibility analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Advisory services for sports franchises and facilities including feasibility analysis, franchise valuation, operational consulting, and project management.
2. Videoboard Procurement Services: Four-tier pricing structure for videoboard assessment, design, RFP distribution, and procurement services. Fees range from flat rates to percentage-based fees of project budgets.
3. Franchise Brokerage: NSS brokers the sale or acquisition of sports franchises, earning fees on transactions. Services include due diligence, financial projections, and transaction facilitation.
4. Facility Management: Day-to-day management services for sports facilities and franchises, including operations, maintenance, labor management, event management, ticketing, concessions, merchandising, and marketing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

National Sports Services, L.L.C. (NSS) is a sports industry consulting firm that provides strategic advisory and operational services to municipalities, sports franchises, private developers, and investors. Founded in 1998 through the merger of Sports Marketing Solutions and Sports Enterprises, NSS delivers full-spectrum services including team and facility consulting, market feasibility analysis, AV/videoboard procurement, sponsorship sales, lease negotiation support, event management, and franchise brokering.

Product overview

National Sports Services provides a comprehensive suite of sports industry consulting services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings consist of Team Consulting Services (franchise acquisition/disposition, valuation, and operations), Facility Development Services (concept through completion), Market Analysis Services (feasibility and due diligence), and Audio & Video Technology Services including Videoboard Procurement Options with four tiered packages (A through D) for videoboard assessment, design, RFP management, and turnkey procurement. Additional services include Sponsorship & Premium Sales, Lease Negotiations, and Event Experience Management. These services are delivered by a consulting team rather than through a software platform or product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Team Consulting
• Facility Development Consulting
• Market Feasibility Analysis
• AV and Videoboard Procurement
• Sponsorship Sales
• Lease Negotiations
• Event Management
• Franchise Brokering

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew 135% from 2017 to 2024 for Wilmington Sharks under NSS management
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Ventura Sports GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024NSS and Ventura Sports Group co-founded the Mid-America League (MAL), a premier development league which began play in May 2024 with six original franchises in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas. NSS provided shared services to all MAL teams and day-to-day management for several teams. NSS sold its interest to Ventura Sports Group following the first season.
• Mammoth Sports ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSS is working directly with Mammoth Sports Construction on development, construction and operation of economical, multi-purpose stadiums. The venues are being marketed nationally to provide affordable stadium solutions to mid-size markets. Partnership includes Fort Smith Arkansas riverfront development and other projects. Mammoth is a full-service design and construction firm with 400 employees and offices in Meriden, KS, Lenexa, KS and Sioux Falls, SD.
• City of Fort SmithmajorOthersIn partnership with Mammoth Sports Construction, NSS is contracted with the City of Fort Smith to provide master development plans for a development on the Arkansas River. The development will include a multi-purpose stadium along with ancillary restaurants and entertainment options.
• City of LafayettemajorOthersNSS worked with the City of Lafayette on the design and programming for the 2,500 seat Loeb Stadium which opened in March 2021. The all-turf venue includes suites, party decks, beer garden, videoboard, and team offices.
• Ripken DesignminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNSS partnered with Ripken Design for feasibility analysis for the Owensboro, Kentucky riverfront stadium development. Ripken Design provided design expertise for the multi-purpose stadium component.
• Jones, Petrie & Rafinski (JPR)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNSS partnered with JPR on venue review and analysis for potential upgrades to Schaumburg Boomers Stadium. JPR is an architectural firm that used NSS recommendations to develop stadium master plan.
• 360 ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeasibility partner with NSS for Wilmington, North Carolina riverfront stadium analysis. Provided site review, design review, and construction estimation expertise.
• BKP ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeasibility partner with NSS for Wilmington, North Carolina riverfront stadium analysis.
• Contour EntertainmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeasibility partner with NSS and Vercitas for Pahrump, Nevada multi-use entertainment development feasibility analysis.
• VercitasminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeasibility partner with NSS for Pahrump, Nevada mixed-use development analysis.
• The Sports Facility AdvisoryminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFeasibility partner with NSS for Pahrump, Nevada mixed-use entertainment development.
• 635 Holdings, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSS provided economic impact analysis for Mammoth Sports Construction and 635 Holdings, Inc. for a multi-field sports complex in Corpus Christi, TX. The $40 million+ project includes 20-year projections for economic impact, hotel stays, jobs created, and tax revenue.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Aspire Group: The Aspire Group is a sports consulting and outsourced sales firm specializing in ticket sales, sponsorship, and premium hospitality for sports teams and venues. Directly comparable for sponsorship sales, premium seating, and outsourced ticket sales services to NSS.
• Conventions, Sports & Leisure International (CSL): CSL provides feasibility, financial advisory, and strategic planning services to the sports and entertainment industries. Directly comparable as a specialized consulting firm serving municipalities, sports venues, and franchises on feasibility, market analysis, and stadium economics.
• Hunden Strategic Partners: Hunden is a Chicago-based real estate and hospitality consulting firm specializing in sports venues, convention centers, and entertainment districts. Comparable as a feasibility and market-analysis consultant for public and private sports facility development projects.

Broad incumbents

• Delaware North (Sportservice / Sports Facilities): Delaware North operates concessions, hospitality, and venue services for major sports venues. Comparable as an incumbent venue operations and consulting provider to sports teams and municipalities, albeit at substantially larger scale.
• Ripken Design: Ripken Design is a stadium design and experience firm led by Cal Ripken Jr., and is named as an active NSS feasibility partner on Owensboro KY. Comparable for sports facility planning, design, and feasibility services targeting mid-size markets.
• Oak View Group (OVG): OVG is a sports and entertainment venue development and operations firm. Comparable in providing venue feasibility, development, and operational services, though at significantly larger scale with venue ownership and broader hospitality integrations.
• Legends Hospitality (Legends / ASM Global-adjacent): Legends provides planning, sales, and operations services to sports and entertainment venues and teams globally. Comparable as a broader venue/team operating and consulting platform that overlaps with NSS's sponsorship, premium sales, and facility management offerings.

Emerging players

• Wasserman: Wasserman is a sports marketing and talent representation agency with a consulting division serving leagues, teams, and venues. Comparable in providing sponsorship sales, valuation, and sports business advisory to mid-market sports properties.
• Baker Tilly (Sports & Entertainment practice, formerly Beall Group): Baker Tilly's sports and entertainment practice provides feasibility, economic impact, and stadium consulting. Comparable as a feasibility and market-analysis consultant to public-sector clients evaluating sports facility investments.
• Evolution Media / CAA Sports (now part of TKO Group / Endeavor): CAA Sports provides strategic advisory, property sales, and consulting to sports leagues, teams, and facilities. Comparable for sponsorship sales, franchise transaction advisory, and venue consulting work targeting sports properties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-sports-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 National Sports Services, L.l.c.