The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
49°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

Spokane-based SBLive Sports partners with National Federation of State High School Associations

The team at SBLive Sports includes, from left, Dan Dickau, Regan Dickson, Gray Reid, Dan Beach and Zach Bonneau. The company’s office is in The Spokesman-Review Building in downtown Spokane. (Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review)
By Greg Mason gregm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5047

Spokane-based sports-media company SBLive Sports has reached a corporate partnership deal with the National Federation of State High School Associations.

NFHS governs member high-school sports associations in 50 states and the District of Columbia. The federation writes the rules for sports played in more than 19,500 high schools across the country, including those affiliated with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, or WIAA .

SBLive Sports creates media content aimed at the high school sports market, including articles, highlights and power rankings via a mobile app, website and social media platforms. The company has reporters in at least 10 states who report on schedules and scores from certain teams across the country.

Mark Koski, NFHS chief marketing officer, said SBLive will work with six NFHS state member associations – the WIAA as well as those in Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, Mississippi and Vermont – for content and to serve as a digital media platform more in tandem with the NFHS for those associations and schools.

“SBLive’s innovative, digital services have already benefited many member state associations and constituents,” NFHS Executive Director Karissa Niehoff said in a statement. “From stat tracking to in-depth features to a variety of other resources, SBLive offers something for everyone in the education-based high school sports community.”

Koski said the NFHS already has a similar partnership with another high school sports media company, MaxPreps.

“We want to make sure that when we partner with a company, it is one that has had proven success and has delivered great results to schools,” Koski said. “SBLive is one of those that has been able to do that in the past several years.”

The Cowles Co., which publishes The Spokesman-Review, is SBLive’s lead investor. Dan Beach, SBLive’s founder and CEO, declined to elaborate on the potential benefits of the NFHS partnership at this time.

The NFHS arrangement comes just months after the company announced a partnership with Sports Illustrated publisher The Arena Group.

“The SBLive Sports Data Hub can become the key component to a better-high-school sports experience for coaches, players, fans, technology and media companies as we embrace the value of making content more easily accessible to all,” Beach said in a statement.