Skip to main content
Join Now

Backyard Sports video game franchise unveils trailer, announces return

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones08/20/24brianjones_93

The beloved video game franchise Backyard Sports is making a comeback. Playground Productions announced the relaunch of the video game franchise while unveiling a new trailer. The company said that the games will be “bigger and better than ever while staying true to what made the franchise so special.” As for a return date, Playground Productions said the game will return “in the coming months.”

“Backyard Sports is more than just a game; it’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people,” said Backyard Sports creator and Playground Productions founder and CEO Lindsay Barnett in a statement, per Sports Illustrated. “I look at media as the largest classroom in the world. As such, our goal is to produce meaningful content that not only entertains but also educates and inspires. The return of ‘Backyard Sports’ is the perfect embodiment of that goal.”

“We’re incredibly excited to reintroduce Backyard Sports to a new generation of players,” Chris Waters, chief product officer at Playground Productions, said in a statement. “We’re taking great care to preserve the look and feel that made the original games so special while updating them with modern features and gameplay that today’s audience expects. I can’t wait for fans to see what we’re building on the Playground.”

Backyard Sports debuted in 1997 with Backyard Baseball. The game also had the “Backyard Kids” such as Pablo Sanchez, Stephanie Morgan, Kenny Kawaguchi, Pete Wheeler and more. Playground Productions later added Backyard Sports games for soccer, football, basketball and hockey. Over the years, professional sports leagues like MLB, WNBA, NBA, MLS and NHL partnered with Backyard Sports to feature kid versions of some of the top athletes in the world.

Is Jason Kelce part of the Backyard Sports reboot?

Back in January, Jason Kelce revealed on the New Heights podcast that he was looking to reboot Backyard Sports. “I don’t even know if I want to mention this,” Kelce said. “I’ve secretly been looking into seeing if anybody holds the rights to Backyard Baseball and Backyard Football because I want to buy it and get this thing going again.”

Sports Illustrated said Kelce will not be part of the announced reboot. “While Jason Kelce isn’t directly involved in this relaunch, he represents an audience of people that, to this day, fondly remember Backyard Sports as a staple game with iconic characters beloved by many,” a Playground Productions spokesperson told Sports Illustrated. “Just like Jason and the millions of other fans out there, Playground Productions recognizes the nostalgia of this franchise and is thrilled to bring it back to life to reach a new generation of players.”