NPR’s Juana Summers spoke with Luke Goldstein of The Lever about the rise of private equity control over youth hockey facilities and other youth sports venues.
Senator Chris Murphy raised alarms after being told that livestreaming his child’s hockey game could lead to the team being penalized. That, Murphy said, was because a private equity-backed operator had installed cameras at ice rinks, charged subscription fees for access to footage, and prohibited parents from filming games. Goldstein’s article, headlined “Wall Street Is Paywalling Your Kids’ Sports,” finds that restrictive streaming practices are spreading across youth sports held at corporate-owned facilities.
Goldstein says youth sports have become a booming $40 billion-a-year industry, drawing private equity interest that buys and consolidates facilities, leagues, and tournaments. One major consequence is new streaming regimes: at many rinks and sports centers, parents are discouraged or barred from recording their children and instead offered paid packages for game footage. Those subscription fees can exceed costs for professional-sports streaming on services like ESPN.
His reporting focuses on Black Bear Sports Group. Before publication, Black Bear told Goldstein parents were welcome to record videos and that restrictions applied only to livestreaming, citing safety and consent concerns. After the story ran, Black Bear reiterated that only live streaming is prohibited. But Goldstein obtained a contract between Black Bear’s streaming service, Black Bear TV, and an affiliated rink showing language that goes beyond banning livestreams: it explicitly prohibits recording devices—listing phones, iPads, and other equipment—and requires rink owners to enforce those terms.
Black Bear told NPR it has saved dozens of struggling rinks and says its player participation growth outpaces the national average. Goldstein notes the company is a subsidiary of Blackstreet Capital, a private equity firm known for buying distressed businesses, restructuring them, and eventually selling them. Running ice rinks is costly, and many facilities were struggling before being acquired, which helps explain why private equity has been able to roll up operations into larger chains.
Goldstein argues these changes reflect a broader shift in youth sports toward higher costs and services that cater to wealthier families willing to pay for premium offerings, including exclusive streaming access. The consolidation of facilities under private-equity ownership, combined with contractual limits on personal recording, has reshaped how parents can watch and share their children’s games.