Back-to-school marks a fresh start in households nationwide — and an opportunity for brands to meet student-athletes, their parents and fans where they spend hours each week.
Back-to-school season brings excitement, optimism and the feel of a fresh start to households nationwide. For high school athletes, these feelings are amplified, as a new school year also ushers in a new sports season. It’s a time to reconnect with coaches and teammates, apply offseason work to a game setting and prepare to meet the challenges of the upcoming season.
This time of year also brings shuffling routines for athletes and their parents. Calendars fill up as they juggle the obligations of work, school and after-school activities. The slower pace of summer workouts and camps quickly turns into a frenzy of classes, practices and games.
With this, an opportunity emerges for brands. Back-to-school is a prime time to reach highly engaged, motivated customers who crave convenience. Brands that recognize the chaos of this season for students and parents—and offer solutions that simplify their lives—are recognized and rewarded.
A Busy Spending Season
U.S. families are projected to spend nearly $40 billion in this time frame—or around $875 per family. It’s one of the busiest consumer spending times of the year, rivaling the holiday season. Athletics and other extracurriculars drive much of this spending, with an average of $582 per child on sports-related fees and equipment.
With ease and convenience on shoppers' minds, back-to-school sales and promotions find a receptive audience—with 65% engaging with ads around them on digital and social platforms. But with consumer attention coming at a premium, where can brands make an impression that encourages them to act?
Back to School = Back to Sport
Hudl captures the attention of nearly every high school athlete in the country—and increasingly, their family members. And this attention ramps up as summer winds down. The average session on Hudl is 11.1 minutes—over 3 times longer than Instagram—demonstrating the intent behind each login.
Athletes are on Hudl looking to grow their skills and get noticed by the people most important to them—like recruiters, their families and their peers. They’re creating highlights, preparing for games and receiving coaching points on Hudl, all in pursuit of their goals. And they’re doing it at an incredible scale—nearly 12 million highlights are created on Hudl annually, driving approximately 2 billion views and counting.
Hudl is a way for busy parents to stay connected to their children. Game schedules keep them informed, livestreams let them watch from anywhere and highlights allow them to relive and share their child’s biggest moments.
With a presence in 99% of U.S. high schools, Hudl video is a staple at programs nationwide—and is increasingly making its way into living rooms. Livestreaming on Hudl has skyrocketed as parents and extended families seek ways to see every moment of the action.
Total broadcasts on Hudl grew 165% YoY, with the fall sports season drawing the most eyes. Zooming out, the growth across the board is even more evident—boys' event broadcasts have increased 331% over the past three years, while girls' event broadcasts have risen 288% in the same period.
Through these different areas—highlights, livestreams, athlete feeds—brands can be a part of the athletic journey for athletes and fans alike.
How Brands Build Real Connections
Hudl connects over 85 million fans to their favorite athletes. But who is the typical fan on Hudl? What do they value? And what are they looking for during this time?
Fans on Hudl have an average household income of $96k per year, and three kids per household. They’re often on the go—40% report traveling weekly for sporting events.
Brands have found creative ways to show their awareness of this audience to build brand loyalty. QSR brands like Chipotle introduced free delivery every Sunday in September to alleviate the stress of meal prepping during back-to-school. Bertucci’s introduced meal bundles to offer convenient dining options for families juggling academics and extracurriculars.
Retail brands focus on simplifying the shopping experience, fostering community connections, and celebrating family moments. Target’s “Back to School: Made Simple” campaign curated school supply lists and offered convenient options like online ordering with in-store pickup. Walmart eased financial stress on families by surprising eight shoppers with $100 gift cards for back-to-school shopping.
CPG brands like Kraft Heinz, Clorox, and Unilever leaned into value-driven bundles and convenience-focused products designed for busy school routines.
Beyond retail and CPG, industries like beauty, auto, and travel can capitalize on the back-to-school season with tailored content activations that resonate with their audience.
Whether it’s quick meals, time-saving solutions, or gameday must-haves, brands that meet these needs create real connections during this high-attention season. This helps parents prioritize what matters most—spending more time with their family.
Brands like Gatorade capitalized on this high-attention season by tapping into Hudl’s platform for a back-to-school campaign featuring star quarterback Josh Allen, reaching both athletes and the decision-makers behind them—their parents.
By building excitement around the best high school sports moments of all time and creating custom content, the campaign tapped into the energy of athletes and fans gearing up for a new season, keeping Gatorade top of mind throughout.
Getting Started
Hudl is where families and Gen Z athletes stay connected to sports, making it the ideal platform for brands to engage with this audience—especially during the back-to-school season. As athletes return to competition and families settle into new routines, engagement on Hudl surges, creating prime opportunities for brands to build awareness and drive sales.
By tapping into these high-intent moments—through highlights, livestreams, athlete feeds and more—your brand can align with the excitement of a new season and stay top of mind for sports-focused consumers.
Now’s the time for your brand to secure your back-to-school plans on Hudl.
