Golf media company Pro Shop has raised $24M in a new series B funding round that was led by Falcons owner Arthur Blank’s family office. The financing included Causeway Partners and Ares Capital, alongside returning investors including the PGA Tour, Powerhouse Capital and Phoenix Capital Ventures. Pro Shop CEO Joe Purzycki said fans will “see an expansion of some of our franchises” and “see us expand our talent base in a meaningful way and really invest in more programming.” Purzycki and co-founder Chad Mumm said that a “top priority, alongside expanding their content slate, will be pushing further into live events.” That includes “live golf programming, where they have The Skins Game on Prime Video on Black Friday and are exploring other opportunities,” but also “real-world experiences for golf fans.” But the content will “still be a focal point,” with the company “pairing its scripted and docuseries projects with creator partnerships, podcasts and other programming.” Mumm said that with the PGA Tour, under CEO Brian Rolapp, “thinking more intently about content and media, the opportunity to partner with them will only get bigger” (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/5).
