Social to IRL Trend Gaining Momentum as Sold-Out Dude Perfect Tour Begins

Social to IRL Trend Gaining Momentum as Sold-Out Dude Perfect Tour Begins

Dude Perfect is set to embark on its fifth summer tour. The Hero Tour presented by Samsung Galaxy and Google Gemini begins tomorrow in Colorado Springs (July 2).

The family-friendly creator group will make 21 appearances over the next six weeks, the bulk of which are set to take place in sold-out NBA/NHL (or comparably sized) arenas.

“The level of interest and commitment [shown by our fans] is very high,” Andrew Yaffe (CEO, Dude Perfect) said.

Half of those attending a tour stop will drive at least one hour to see the trick shot artists turned multimedia stars. 20% will travel 2.5 hours or more.

For context, a 2021 Foursquare Insights report that sports fans typically travel, on average, 10-13 miles to attend a game in-person.

“What people underestimate is the connection that fans have to [long-form] creators based on their authenticity and the frequency of their content” Yaffe said. “Our audience feels like they know our guys, they feel like they know the brand. There is a deep connection and love [for it as a result].”

Dude Perfect is a collective of five friends, former roommates at Texas A&M University, who began making content together in 2009. Best known for their trick‑shot videos, ‘battles’, and comedy bits, ‘The Dudes’ are among the longest standing creator groups and own the largest sports-related YouTube account (see: 61mm subscribers).

Dude Perfect has also “had [a] show on Nickelodeon [and on CMT] and [was] an alternate broadcaster for Thursday Night Football on Amazon,” Yaffe noted.

But forgive yourself if you’ve never seen these Guiness World Record holders in action. Their core audience is eight to eighteen-year-olds, and they’re primarily reaching that demo on YouTube and other social channels. 

Dude Perfect’s business looks a lot like a traditional sports franchise.

“Obviously, the live experience or live content is a little bit different, but we have all the same revenue streams,” Yaffe said. And “we have more reach and [digital] engagement than most.”

Its revenues are just smaller, at least relative to clubs across the big four leagues (think: $50mm+ in ARR).

The majority of Dude Perfect’s income currently comes from sponsorship and advertising. 

The tour is responsible for roughly one-third of company revenues. The group sold more than 200,000 tickets to the Hero Tour at an average price point of $65-$70 (market-depending). 

But the live shows aren’t a cash grab. The Dudes view them as their most meaningful fan interaction point.

“As [exciting] as a hundred million view YouTube asset is, being able to feel and see the reaction to [stunts] is really important and it just creates a whole different level of connection with our [already rabid] audience,” Yaffe said.

The Hero Tour was announced last October.  

“By Christmas, [it] was 70% sold through and our VIP tickets, [that included meet and greets and backstage access], were almost 100% sold out,” Yaffe said.

That is despite the sports-entertainment property offering little information on what exactly a tour stop would entail.

There is no “preview or teaser or trailer,” Yaffe said. “It [was] literally just Dude Perfect [announcing it was] coming, and people spending $300 a family to [purchase tickets].”

The demand speaks to the power of the brand, and explains why the group is exploring larger venue formats for 2026. 

Dude Perfect is ultimately going to stage a live version of its variety show (entitled Overtime). 

“Segments, [activities], and challenges between the guys, a competition to see who wins [over the course of an evening],” Yaffe said.

Imagine a sports version Medieval Times.

And much like big four clubs, Dude Perfect has started to invest in real estate assets (it raised more than $100mm last March). The group recently opened a $3mm 80,000 square-foot facility in Frisco, Texas to serve as its headquarters.

“It’s production space. It's office [space]. But we also have an NBA practice facility quality basketball court. We've got a 50-yard football field with uprights. We've got an Augusta National-themed mini golf course. A golf simulator. A workout facility. A pickleball court. A climbing wall. And that's [all] in the first 40,000 square feet.”

The Dudes will use the other 40,000 sf to build out retail space and interactive touchpoints for the throngs of loyal fans who regularly show up to see the guys and the venue. 

There is a belief that on-site experience has the potential to scale.

“If we can sell 200,000 tickets with [nothing but] a logo, then [I’m confident] we can get people to show up at [additional IRL] locations and do things if we craft the right [programming],” Yaffe said.

Because the underlying businesses are so similar and given that Dude Perfect has proven effective at reaching next gen fans, rights owners across the established sports ecosystem would be wise to look to The Dudes for inspiration and replicate their best practices where applicable. Adopting the group’s approach to YouTube is a logical place to start.

“When sports franchises [think about programming it is often] how do we put highlights or behind the scenes content on social,” Yaffe said. “They are not engaging creators who know how to create [for a given platform] or [developing their own authentic characters] to [create] content and truly engage fans.”

That’s not for lack of effort. The bulk of major sports properties engage influencers and/or content creators in various capacities.

“But if [a creator] lives and breathes YouTube, the level of engagement and the connection that the audience has [to their channel] is just different,” Yaffe said.

Sports properties without YouTube specific creators on the payroll are missing out.

Rights owners could also learn from Dude Perfect’s willingness and ability to quickly meet partner needs. While larger properties will often customize a sponsorship package ‘around the edges’, The Dudes are creating fully customizable campaigns, content, and promotional items for specific brand launches.

“We can time them to the day, we can produce them within a week, and [we] do [it all] hand-in-hand with the [company],” Yaffe said.

The results have, unsurprisingly, been ‘unbelievable’. A trick shot video created for Body Armor became among the top performing pieces of hockey content on social last year (think: 50mm+ views). 

The NHL found even greater success with its Dude Perfect collaboration. 

“That video [which also features another popular hockey creator, Zac Bell], has close to 500 million views. It is the highest performing piece of hockey content in the history of the internet,” Yaffe said.

The NHL was wise to recognize that influential creators can serve as a foot in the door with next-gen fans.

“Our audience, [kids aged 6-18], is no longer watching live [television. They are] no longer watching linear,” Yaffe said. “They [consume sport] very differently [than previous generations]. They’re consuming it a lot more like us, a lot more like the Savannah Bananas, a lot more like Mr. Beast doing a three-point contest with Steph Curry. That’s where the world is going.”

The expectation is that unconventional exposure to a given sport will eventually convert into more traditional fandom.

“We saw at the NBA that fans of [the popular content creator] Jesser were likely to [become] fans of the [league],” Yaffe said.

Dude Perfect and the Savannah Bananas’ continued success suggests there is a healthy market for casual sports entertainment alongside more traditional or competitive properties.

In theory, the established leagues would be best positioned to capitalize on it. They have the resources and platforms needed to drive success.

But competition is so deeply ingrained in their DNA it may be difficult to create a secondary property that is entertainment-first focused (particularly, since it won’t be their primary focus).

Popular content creators have been the ones taking advantage of the opportunity to date (see: Kings League). It seems likely that trend will continue.

Social to “IRL [is] growing,” Yaffe said. “In many ways, it’s already here. The products people buy, the experiences they want, the brands they love. It primarily starts with the talent and creators they follow. And it’s only going to grow over the next 5+ years.”

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