New Division Targets Youth Fandom
WSC Sports has officially launched Sports Business Journal reported on October 26, 2026, that WSC Studios is an in-house creative production division designed to help sports organizations build lifelong fandom among pre-teens through animated digital programming. Led by Itai Epstein, WSC’s vice president of new ventures, and creative production director Gili Dolev, the studio collaborates with major global rights holders including ESPN, the NBA, La Liga, and the Australian Football League.
The strategic shift addresses a critical demographic challenge for sports properties. Epstein noted that industry research from Two Circles in 2023 indicates nearly half of global sports fans begin following sports by age 14, while a subsequent 2024 study by Playfly Sports and Vision Insights revealed that 71% of the NBA’s most loyal fans established their team loyalty by age 12. Consequently, the studio focuses on engaging children during their early formative years when sports preferences are initially established.
The broader media landscape has shifted dramatically as younger demographics migrate away from traditional linear television toward streaming networks, social channels, and interactive gaming environments like Roblox and Fortnite. Major sports leagues and broadcasting networks increasingly recognize that capturing attention early is vital to long-term commercial survival. By introducing children to sports narratives through character-driven entertainment, rights holders hope to cultivate sustainable viewing habits that persist well into adulthood.
Production Model and Technological Integration
Operating with a growing staff of approximately 20 professionals across scriptwriting, design, motion art, animation, and video editing, WSC Studios utilizes a human-led, AI-assisted model. Epstein emphasized that artificial intelligence functions as a production efficiency tool rather than a replacement for creative staff, assisting with motion animation, language translations, and voice cloning derived from contracted human voice actors. This workflow enables the studio to deliver comprehensive content series within two to three months.
The integration of advanced generative tools allows creators to bypass historical financial and time constraints that previously made children’s animation cost-prohibitive for many sports properties. Bob Carney, the NBA’s senior vice president of digital and social content, highlighted that generative AI has removed traditional economic barriers, making ambitious storytelling projects viable. Rather than allowing algorithms to drive the creative process, seasoned directors like Gili Dolev ensure that human artistry guides every narrative framework, avoiding the pitfalls of uninspired digital output.
The studio’s pricing model ranges from five to seven figures depending on project scope, alongside a revenue-share structure on downstream income while allowing rights-holder partners to retain intellectual property ownership. This commercial framework incentivizes collaboration, giving leagues and networks a direct stake in the financial upside of successful characters and franchises.
Flagship Partnerships and Market Expansion
Among its initial offerings, WSC Studios and ESPN officially launched a 20-episode series titled The Sports Explorers on October 19, 2026, as the flagship program for ESPN JV, a dedicated young-fan destination developed through the ESPN Edge Innovation Center (Business Insider). The series blends live-action highlights with original animated characters known as The Squad to narrate inspiring athlete stories, beginning with NBA legend LeBron James.
Additional collaborative projects include The Alley & Oop Show developed with the NBA, Goalitos with LaLiga and EA Sports, and Wagtales with the Australian Football League, alongside upcoming initiatives involving Real Madrid. Rights holders view these character-driven franchises as valuable intellectual property assets capable of expanding into merchandise, video game integrations, and digital creator activations beyond traditional sports broadcasting.
As these media franchises expand across multiple digital touchpoints, sports organizations anticipate that characters like Alley, Oop, and The Squad will evolve into recognizable household names. By anchoring educational microlearning modules and inspiring athlete journeys in familiar animated formats, WSC Studios provides a reliable bridge connecting young audiences to professional sports leagues across the globe.