Whistle Sports YouTube network secures $28m funding with investment from Derek Jeter and Peyton Manning
YouTube sports network Whistle Sports has raised $28m (£18.55m) in a funding round that included American sports stars Peyton Manning and Derek Jeter as investors.
The network, which distributes video content across 225 YouTube channels, has now raised over $35m in various funding rounds – including $7m in backing from BSkyB.
Whistle Sports aims to provide sports content for a millennial audience and has secured partnerships with a number of notable leagues and brands including the NFL, PGA Tour, Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball Advanced Media.
The latest Series B funding for the YouTube company was led by Emil Capital Partners, an affiliate of the Tengelmann Group.
Emil Capital’s CEO, Andreas Guldin, said: “Whistle Sports is changing sports-media consumption habits and have become the destination for millions of young millennial sports fans around the world.
“Partnering with them to continue their impressive growth trajectory is a strategic win for us.”
On Whistle Sports’ official website the company boasts of 12.4m YouTube subscribers, 20.8m Facebook "likes" and 3.6m Twitter followers across its various channels and pages.
Last September Whistle opened its first European office in London, to add to outposts in New York, Dallas and Los Angeles. Its UK arm has since set up the football channel STRskillSchool.
Rather than offering live content or highlights packages, Whistle Sports aims to provide brands with engaging content. The company describes itself as “the millennial voice and destination for sports”.
Baseball icon Derek Jeter and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning have both invested in the company.
Manning commented:
I believe in Whistle Sports’ mission of inspiring young fans with what’s best in sports and their focus on the values that drive success on and off the field. The content is great and it is clear that they’re growing quickly.
Whistle plan to use the investment to expand into European and Latin American markets, according to chief executive and co-founder John West, who told TechCrunch he expects the company to become profitable in 2016.