The Snow League, the first professional winter sports league entirely dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing, announced today their funding round of $15 million to accelerate its growth and expansion. The new investment will allow The Snow League to build on the momentum of its inaugural 2025–26 season, helping to expand operations globally, enhance event production, grow its media properties and engagement, and advance partnerships with global brands ahead of its upcoming events in Asia, North America, and Europe.
The round was anchored by new investors 359 Capital (formerly Sapphire Sport), BITKRAFT Ventures and WISE Ventures, the investment arm of the Wilf Family, as well as existing investor Left Lane Capital.
Additional new investors include Hillhouse Investment, Linda Henry of Fenway Sports Group, CAZ Investments, Trenches Capital, Purchase Capital, Alumni Ventures, FJ Labs, Fresh Tape Media and Range Group.
Participation in this latest round from existing investors include Ares Management funds, David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, Ryan Sports Ventures, Boardroom Sports Holdings and Kuvare Holdings. Will Ventures is an existing investor.
Launched in June 2024 by legendary winter sports athlete Shaun White, The Snow League is broadcasted in over 175 countries and is drawing significant attention from fans, athletes, and world-class brand partners. The league’s inaugural season introduces a first-of-its-kind championship format which spans multiple global events, where athletes earn points throughout the season to compete for the overall title.
Shaun White, Founder of The Snow League, said “This round of funding represents a significant milestone for us. We are honored to welcome our new investors and are deeply appreciative of the continued support from our existing partners. Their confidence reflects the strength of our vision to build a world-class platform for winter sports, uniting athletes, fans, and partners through a shared passion for competition and progression.”
“We are thrilled to back The Snow League as they embark on this critical next phase of product development and growth,” adds Michael Spirito, Managing Partner of 359 Capital. “We believe The Snow League can create a brand and a media engine that can be very consequential in winter sports, an appealing and lucrative market. With our iconic LP group across global sports, media and entertainment, we aim to help the TSL team however we can.”
“Season One features a four-event global format boasting a prize purse over $2 million, the largest ever awarded in snowboarding and freeskiing,” said Harley Miller, CEO and Managing Partner of Left Lane Capital. “This showcases a dynamic head-to-head competition format, along with innovative broadcast production and an unparalleled viewing experience — combining elite athletic performance with cutting-edge storytelling and real-time analytics to engage fans and elevate the sport on a global scale.”
The high-energy events are broadcast on NBC Sports and Peacock in the United States, with international distribution spanning across leading broadcast and streaming partners. This extensive global footprint ensures fans can experience The Snow League across multiple platforms and time zones, bringing the excitement of elite snowboarding and freeskiing to millions of viewers through both traditional television and digital streaming channels.
“This funding marks an important milestone for The Snow League as we continue building a global platform that reimagines competitive winter sports,” said Omer Atesmen, CEO of The Snow League. “Our mission is to elevate the experience for athletes, fans, and partners alike, combining world-class competition with premium entertainment and storytelling. We’re proud to have the support of investors who share our vision and are helping us bring the next era of snow sports to life.”
Jasper Brand, Partner at Bitkraft Ventures, said “Shaun brings a track record of reinventing how audiences engage with sports, from his early impact in winter sports to launching his own video game to now creating a media platform with The Snow League. Athletes today lack a tour they can make a living on in order to fulfill their dreams and inspire fans alongside meaningful brand partnership opportunities. With BITKRAFT’s original roots in competitive entertainment, we’re excited to support the team in building the future of snow sports, a massively underserved category when it comes to storytelling and content formats.”
“We have been tracking The Snow League and this team for several years since TSL was just an idea,” adds Konrad von Moltke, the Principal of WISE Ventures. “We are excited to partner in their next phase of growth, especially with all the excitement around the upcoming Winter Olympics. In an increasingly competitive content landscape, captivating live events, elevated hospitality offerings, compelling short form content and star power driven IP still reign supreme, and The Snow League exceeds the mark in all of these areas. We look forward to finding ways to be a value add for TSL with the Wilf Family’s sports and real estate holdings and other relevant WISE Ventures backed portfolio companies.”
About The Snow League
Launched in June 2024, The Snow League is the first professional winter sports league dedicated to snowboarding and freeskiing. Founded by three-time Olympic gold medalist and entrepreneur Shaun White, Season One features a four-event global format boasting a $2.2 million season purse, with athletes competing to earn points to determine the overall champions. The season kicked off at Buttermilk in Aspen Snowmass (March 7- 8, 2025), heading next to Yunding Snow Park, China (Dec. 4 – 6, 2025), where 16 of the world’s top freeskiers will join the roster at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games venue. The League returns to Aspen (Feb. 26–28, 2026) and concludes at LAAX, Switzerland (March 19 – 21, 2026), where the first-ever Snow League World Champions will be crowned.
About 359 Capital
359 Capital (formerly Sapphire Sport) is the first-of-its-kind venture capital firm that brings together the capital and industry experience of premier global sports, media and entertainment brands. With ~$300M in assets under management, 359 Capital backs Seed to Series C consumer and consumer adjacent companies, providing connectivity into difficult-to-penetrate markets as represented by its unique LP base. This group includes City Football Group, Sinclair, MSG, AEG, adidas, Bank of Montreal and owners and investors from all major U.S. sports leagues.
About BITKRAFT Ventures
BITKRAFT Ventures is a global investment platform at the intersection of games, immersive technology, digital assets, and AI. With over $1B in assets under management and more than 130 portfolio companies, BITKRAFT is built by founders for founders. The firm leverages deep domain expertise, a decentralized global presence, and institutional-grade infrastructure to back visionary teams building in interactive media and adjacent verticals. BITKRAFT’s core belief is that gaming is not just the largest entertainment sector—it is a catalyst for consumer and technology innovation and a blueprint for the future of digital experiences. For a full list of public investments made to date, view BITKRAFT’s portfolio here.
About WISE Ventures
WISE Ventures is the investment arm of the Wilf Family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL and Orlando City SC and Pride of the MLS and NWSL and significant multi family and commercial real estate developers through Garden Homes and Garden Commercial Properties, among other holdings. More information on WISE Ventures can be found here.
About Left Lane Capital
Founded in 2019, Left Lane Capital is a New York and London-based global venture capital and growth equity firm investing in hyper-growth Consumer and SMB businesses with enduring customer relationships. Left Lane’s mission is to partner with extraordinary entrepreneurs who create category-defining companies across growth sectors of the economy. Select investments include Kings League, LOVB, Bilt Rewards, Blank Street, M1 Finance, Wayflyer, Holy, Talkiatry, Ownwell, and more. For more information, please visit www.leftlane.com.
