Jason McCarthy buys first PJL team before April 2027 launch
Premier Jumping League has sold its first team for $50 million before the competition’s inaugural season in April 2027.
Jason McCarthy and McCarthy Jumping League LLC bought the team, becoming the first ownership group in the new professional showjumping competition.
When PJL opens in 2027, it plans to feature 16 teams across 14 international events.
PJL announced the deal from New York on June 29, 2026, and framed it as a landmark acquisition for the new league.
The price marks an unprecedented valuation for a team in a newly established sports competition.
That investment also reflects confidence in McCourt Global’s $300 million prize money commitment and the league’s business model.
Jason McCarthy acquisition
McCarthy is a trader, investor and competitive race car driver with leadership experience across the financial sector.
He graduated from MIT and founded a proprietary trading firm active in domestic and international markets.
Alongside his business career, McCarthy owns equine farms with his wife, Newsha, and daughter, Natalia, in Watermill, New York, and Wellington, Florida.
Natalia is a junior competitive rider who aims to compete at the highest level of jumping.
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.”
He said the family became fans of jumping through Newsha and developed a strong appreciation for the partnership between horse and rider.
McCarthy added: “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.”
He also said the family sees room for jumping to grow its global audience while keeping the values that define the sport.
Meanwhile, PJL has presented itself as an investable sports property with a pathway to long-term asset appreciation.
Frank McCourt, executive chairman of McCourt Global, called the investment “a powerful endorsement of the PJL’s vision and the future potential of jumping”.
Following this $50 million sale, the league continues its build-up to the April 2027 debut season.
