The Premier Jumping League (PJL) Launches with a Record-Breaking $300 Million Guaranteed Prize Pot, Defining a New Era for Showjumping

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Premier Jumping League (PJL) launches with a record-breaking $300 million guaranteed prize pot, defining a new era for showjumping.

Backed by McCourt Global and its Executive Chairman, Frank McCourt, the PJL is a groundbreaking global competition that elevates high-performance riders and horses to their rightful place on the world stage. Built on merit, integrity, and excellence, the PJL brings together the world’s best athletes to compete for the biggest prize pot in the discipline’s history, helping to create a more resilient, long-term financial model for the sport.

Represented by sixteen teams, the PJL will introduce an industry-first rider selection process from a pool of 250 of the world’s leading riders.

World-class, immersive events will unfold across fourteen iconic international venues, spanning Europe, North America, and the Middle East inviting fans closer than ever to the grit, beauty, and power of high-stakes jumping.

The inaugural season will run from March to October 2027.

Designed to open the sport to new audiences whilst respecting its heritage, the PJL combines extraordinary athletic performance with premium entertainment, strengthened by the league’s partnership with Emmy award-winning production company Box to Box Films, and supported by a free-to-view broadcasting model. Cutting-edge technology, radical transparency, and innovative team formats enhance the drama, intensity, and rivalry that defines elite sport – unlocking the full potential of jumping, demanded by today’s global sports and entertainment marketplace, without compromising its core values.

With exceptional welfare standards, a pioneering development pathway, and financial sustainability at its core, the PJL is professionalising jumping.

This is elite sport.

This is extraordinary skill.

This is our sport as you’ve always loved it.

This is our sport as you’ve never seen it.

This is the PJL - the future of jumping.

Frank McCourt, Founder and Chairman of the PJL: “For far too long, many of the world’s best riders have been forced to choose between pursuing their talent and passion and building a sustainable career. The PJL is changing that by creating a clear and viable path for athletes to earn a great living by competing at the highest level, without compromising the traditions and values that define jumping. By aligning opportunity with performance and commitment, we are reshaping the future of the sport and empowering its most talented athletes to devote themselves fully to excellence.”

Neil Moffitt, Chief Executive Officer: “Today marks a major milestone for equestrian sport. The PJL has assembled an exceptional operations team to deliver on our mission to bring a new level of energy, excitement, and engagement to the sport.”

Lisa Lazarus, Chief Equestrian Advisor: “There is no greatness in horse sport without the welfare and safety of the horse. The PJL’s competition design, scheduling, travel approach, and veterinary oversight will reflect uncompromising standards of care, rest, and responsible decision-making every step of the way.”

Laura Kraut, Olympic gold medal-winning rider: “An Olympic gold medal is the greatest thing you can achieve in the sport. Yet for jumping athletes like me, the commercial opportunities often don’t follow. The gap between what athletes achieve and what they’re able to build tells you everything about the sport’s limited infrastructure to convert elite achievement into recognition and reward. I welcome the PJL’s values to reform this model in a way that drives revenue opportunities for all involved.”

Scott Brash, Olympic gold medal winner & current World Number 1 rider: “With horses—and in our sport especially—learning never stops. One of my biggest goals is to help move the sport forward, creating a better environment for athletes, horses, everyone involved, and those who follow along. I believe the PJL gives us a meaningful platform to have these important conversations. Competing at the highest level comes with enormous costs, and for most riders, securing financial support while dedicating the necessary time to the sport is a constant balancing act.

What makes the PJL so impactful is that it rewards riders in a way that allows us to truly prioritize both our own well-being and that of our horses—making full-time training and proper rest possible. That’s something genuinely groundbreaking.”

About the Premier Jumping League (PJL)

The PJL is a new global showjumping competition redefining the sport through elite team competition, record-breaking prize money, and a sustainable professional model for riders. Backed by McCourt Global and shaped by leaders from equestrian sport, international competition, and entertainment, the PJL brings together the world’s top riders and horses to compete across fourteen iconic venues in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. With sixteen teams, an innovative rider selection process and a guaranteed $300 million prize pot, the PJL combines world-class athletic performance with premium entertainment, opening the sport to new global audiences while honouring its heritage.

About McCourt Global

McCourt Global is a diversified enterprise building for tomorrow across real estate and infrastructure, sports, technology, and media. With a global portfolio, the company combines operational expertise with strategic capital to develop impactful projects that create long-term economic and social value. Founded by Executive Chairman Frank McCourt, a civic entrepreneur and fifth-generation builder, and led by an international executive team, McCourt Global builds on a 133-year legacy of developing infrastructure and delivering strong financial results alongside a commitment to social impact—an approach that began with the McCourt family’s original company in Boston in 1893.

McCourt Global’s portfolio includes McCourt Partners, the real estate and infrastructure firm; Olympique de Marseille, the iconic Ligue 1 football club; the Premier Jumping League, a global showjumping competition redefining the sport; and Project Liberty, an initiative to build a better internet where individuals have greater control over their data in the era of AI. Headquartered in New York, McCourt Global operates across North America, Europe, and beyond. For more information, visit McCourt Global’s website or follow the company on LinkedIn.

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