The Premier Jumping League (PJL), the new global showjumping competition, has sold its first franchise ahead of its launch next year, with US investor and race car driver Jason McCarthy acquiring a team for $50 million.
The acquisition sees the McCarthy Jumping Team, which sits within the McCarthy Family Office, take ownership of the team and become the PJL’s first ownership group.
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McCarthy and his wife, Newsha, own equine farms in New York and Florida, and their daughter, Natalia, is a junior competitive rider who aspires to compete at the highest level of jumping.
The value of the acquisition is among the highest for a new franchise in a startup league that has not yet launched.
Starting in April 2027, the PJL will feature 16 teams competing across 14 international venues starting from next year, with the competition aiming to create a sustainable economic model via a centralized sponsorship and broadcasting model.
The events are set to take place across Europe, North America, and the Middle East and involve top riders, including world number one Scott Brash.
The PJL is backed by McCourt Global, the investment firm of American billionaire and prolific sports team owner Frank McCourt, who previously held a 50% stake in the premium show jumping series, the Global Champions Tour, and founded the show jumping team, the Miami Celtics.
McCourt, who is named as founder and chairman of PJL, currently owns French soccer club Olympique Marseille, but previously owned baseball’s iconic Los Angeles Dodgers.
In a statement, McCarthy said: “Like Frank McCourt, our family's journey into this sport began with my wife, Newsha, whose lifelong love of horses first introduced us to the equestrian world. Through her passion, we became fans of jumping and developed a deep appreciation for the extraordinary partnership between horse and rider.
“We believe strongly in the PJL’s vision – a league committed to the highest ethical standards, meritocracy, and elite competition, underpinned by a sustainable commercial model that attracts the world’s best riders and delivers fan experiences on par with the greatest global sporting competitions.
“We see enormous potential for the sport to grow its global audience while remaining true to the values that make it so special. We are confident the PJL will help realize that potential and drive meaningful growth for the sport we have come to love.”
McCourt added: “This investment is a powerful endorsement of the PJL’s vision and the future potential of jumping. From the outset, our ambition has been to attract new capital and new growth opportunities to the sport.
“Jason and his family embody the values and ethos we aim to uphold within the League, and we are delighted to welcome McCarthy Jumping Team as the PJL’s first ownership group.”
The acquisition comes three months after the PJL announced it would launch with a guaranteed prize pot of $300 million.
To help attract new audiences, the league has partnered with production company Box to Box Films, the producers of the popular Formula 1 motor racing series 'Drive to Survive'.
The $300 million on offer across the 14 events is one of the biggest investments in an equestrian competition.
By comparison, show jumping’s top-tier Global Tour distributed €22 million (€25.4 million) across its final flagship events last year, the Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League finals in Riyadh, as well as the Global Champions Prague Playoffs.
Specifically, €10.5 million was distributed across the 2025 LGCT and GCL Season Championships in Riyadh, which featured the world’s best athletes, while the GC Prague Playoffs saw a prize fund of more than €11.4 million split between the GCL Super Cup (€10 million) and GC Tour Super Grand Prix (€1.25 million).
The PJL is working closely with the FEI governing body as it progresses through the Series Approval process, with a decision expected imminently.
In May, the PJL launched a tender to find a host broadcast partner ahead of its inaugural 2027 season, inviting up to 20 leading production companies to pitch for the role, with the appointed host broadcaster to produce and distribute the international signal for the competition’s inaugural season.
