The latest live sports deal for David Ellison’s Paramount is a bit unorthodox.
After securing exclusive rights to every UFC event for the next seven years, paying over $1 billion annually to do so, Ellison and Paramount have gone in a different direction for its next sports deal. According to Peter White of Deadline, Paramount has acquired distribution rights for the Pro Cheer League, which is set to debut its inaugural season in January.
The league consists of four teams — Atlanta, Dallas Miami, and San Diego — that will compete across five events in Indianapolis, Houston, Atlanta, Anaheim, and Nashville.
This deal isn’t exactly a traditional media rights agreement. Varsity Spirit, the company running the Pro Cheer League, sold distribution rights to Paramount Global Content Distribution, the arm of Paramount that sells franchises like CSI and Yellowstone to broadcasters and streamers both in the U.S. and globally. Per Deadline, Varsity Spirit and Paramount are “working together on a variety of content offerings” surrounding the Pro Cheer League.
It’s unclear whether any Pro Cheer League events will air live on Paramount platforms, or if the competitions will air on-demand. Whatever the case, Paramount is high on the future of the sport.
“Competitive cheer has truly become part of the global cultural conversation. It represents athleticism, creativity, and community — qualities that bring audiences together everywhere,” Larry Wasserman, COO & CFO of Paramount Sports Entertainment said, per Deadline. “Its rapidly growing global popularity reflects a shared fascination with stories of determination, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence.”
Sports content consistently proves to be some of the most-watched in all of media, so it makes sense that companies will want to experiment with upstart leagues. Just in the last year, ESPN began airing TGL, the tech-infused simulator golf league, and TNT began airing Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league.
Pro Cheer League will attempt to carve out its own niche beginning next year.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.