Attention '90s Kids:Backyard SportsIs Back! Did the Kelces Manifest Its Return?

Mar. 15, 2025

Gamer kids of the ‘90s, rejoice!

Backyard Sports— the computer game series that allowed players to rule the field, court and rink with kid characters — is making a comeback. Playground Productions, a company aiming to produce family-friendly content, plans to revive the franchise over the next few months across multiple mediums, including new video games, merchandise, film and television.

Launched in 1997 withBackyard Baseball, the franchise soon incorporated soccer, football, basketball, hockey and skateboarding into its roster. The early installments were released for the computer, and as the series grew, the games began to be adapted for consoles like the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance and GameCube.

Initial games also featured an entirely original cast of characters, but as the series’ popularity soared, so did the names it attracted. Box covers ofBackyard Sportseventually starred sports legends likeAlex Rodriguez,Paul PierceandTom Brady.

Courtesy Playground Productions

The 40-second trailer for the upcoming relaunch saw kids drawn inBackyard Sports’ signature style leap to action on the baseball field. At the end, the teaser announced in bold letters, “Backyard is back!”

“Backyard Sportsis more than just a game,” said Lindsay Barnett, founder and CEO of Playground Productions. “It’s a cherished part of childhood for millions of people.”

“We’re incredibly excited to reintroduceBackyard Sportsto a new generation of players,” said Chris Waters, chief production officer of Playground Productions. “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’ is coming back.Courtesy Playground Productions

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Backyard Sportsgained renewed attention when NFL starsJasonandTravis Kelcegave the games a shoutout on their podcastNew Heights. During a January episode, Jason, 36, revealed that he was trying to figure out who owned the rights to the franchise.

“I wanna buy it and get this thing going again,” the retired Philadelphia Eagles player confessed. “It’s the best game ever. It was so electric. Can you imagine playingBackyard Footballright now on your phone? Cause you can do that whole thing on your phone, it wasn’t that complicated.”

Although theNew HeightsX (formerly known as Twitter) account posted a call-to-action after the episode first premiered, it’s currently unknown whether the Kelce brothers are involved in the series' comeback. However, all of theirNew Heightssocial media accounts posted about the games' return on Aug. 20,joking it’s getting added to"the list of things we’ve manifested on this show."

source: people.com