Backed by McCourt Global, the new showjumping competition promises to professionalise the sport with 16 teams, 14 global events, and the largest guaranteed prize fund in equestrian history.
The Premier Jumping League (PJL) has officially launched, unveiling a $300 million guaranteed prize fund that dramatically reshapes the economics of international showjumping and signals serious ambition to mainstream the sport for a global audience.
Backed by McCourt Global — the organisation behind Ligue 1 football club Olympique de Marseille and previously the Los Angeles Dodgers — the PJL will stage 16 team-based competitions across 14 venues spanning Europe, North America and the Middle East, with competition set to begin in March 2027.
“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.”
Frank McCourt, PJL Founder
A new commercial model for equestrian sport
The PJL's structure draws on lessons from franchise-based sports leagues, positioning riders as full-time professional athletes within a coherent team format. The $300 million commitment spans three years, with $100 million earmarked for prize money in year one alone — dwarfing the €22 million distributed across the rival Global Champions Tour for the entirety of 2025.
PJL founder Frank McCourt, who made his name through Boston real estate before buying and selling the Dodgers at a four-fold profit, had previously held a 50% stake in the Global Champions Tour between 2014 and 2020. The PJL represents his renewed and significantly more ambitious commitment to the sport.
World number one Scott Brash is among the high-profile riders to publicly back the venture, lending the league immediate credibility at the elite level of the sport.
"Today marks a major milestone for equestrian sport. The PJL has assembled an exceptional operations team to deliver a new level of energy, excitement, and engagement."
Neil Moffitt, PJL Chief Executive
Targeting a new generation of fans
A recurring challenge for equestrian sport has been its association with an exclusive, older demographic. The PJL's backers argue that transforming the competitive structure — replacing loosely connected individual events with a season-long team narrative — will generate the kind of sustained fan engagement that attracts broadcasters and sponsors.
McCourt articulated the strategic rationale plainly: the sport's best athletes are already world-class, but lack the infrastructure and financial security to compete as their sole profession. "What's missing in the sport," he has said, "is coherence and narrative." The PJL is designed to supply both.
Sport industry implications
The PJL's launch places it in a growing category of disruptive league formats that have reshaped fan engagement in sports from golf (LIV Golf) to tennis and cricket. The challenge for equestrian sport is particular: building a media-ready product around competitions that have historically been opaque to non-specialist audiences.
Whether the PJL can convert its financial firepower into mainstream traction will depend on broadcast deals, athlete participation rates, and the ability to build genuine team identities that resonate beyond core equestrian communities. The sport industry will be watching closely.
