Peyton Manning joins group investing $45M in Good Good Golf

Retired Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and a former top executive at YouTube are part of a group investing $45 million in Good Good Golf, the company behind a popular online golf channel.

Creator Sports Capital, co-founded by former YouTube executive Benjamin Grubbs, is leading the funding round, which includes Manning’s Omaha Productions and 50 other investors, according to the company. Good Good Golf will use the money to build a management team, invest in live events and expand its lineup of golf products.

Investors have been pouring money into YouTube stars and social-media influencers, betting some will turn their internet fame into much larger businesses. Jimmy Donaldson, YouTube’s top personality, has raised more than $450 million over the past four years to expand his online persona, MrBeast, into candy, snacks and other products.

Good Good Golf has attracted more than 1.75 million YouTube subscribers with videos of trick shots, challenges and other golf-themed programming. The company has used its growing following to sell branded golf balls, putters and clothing.

Matt Kendrick and Garrett Clark started the channel in 2020 after meeting at a golf tournament. Clark had been making trick-shot videos, while Kendrick had worked at helping social-media creators make money and was looking to create new golf events. They saw an opportunity to build a brand like Titleist or Callaway and bring younger people into the sport.

“We’ve been a great entry point into golf for people who’ve always thought of it as stuffy,” Kendrick, the company’s chief executive, said in an interview. Before Good Good Golf, most popular golf videos on YouTube were instructional. The channel has amassed more than 500 million views with a rotating cast of golfers who film a mix of competitions and lifestyle videos.

In 2021, Good Good Golf branched out into apparel. The company sells its branded merchandise through its website as well as through retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods. Good Good Golf works with Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., one of the sport’s largest manufacturers, on its line of equipment.

The company has also collaborated with NBC Sports on live golf tournaments, such as the 2024 Good Good Desert Open, which featured Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel, skateboarder Ryan Sheckler and PGA Tour winner Wesley Bryan, among others.

Good Good Golf makes about 75% of its revenue from golf-related products, with the rest from YouTube advertising revenue, live events and brand sponsorships. The company declined to provide additional details on the terms of its most-recent financing.

“What stood out to me early on was how well the channel monetizes,” Grubbs said. Good Good Golf commands higher advertising rates thanks to its attractive audience and family-friendly programming. The golfing channel primarily attracts male viewers in the US between 25 and 34 years old. About 60% watch the videos using a TV and spend an average of more than 40 minutes per session.

The group’s content is also watched by audiences in Australia and the UK. As part of its plans, Good Good Golf will build a sales team to bring its products to more stores and golf courses, including in Japan and South Korea, where the sport is also popular. Good Good Golf also aims to translate its YouTube content into other languages and partner with influencers in those countries.

In the future, Good Good Golf could expand to unscripted shows, scripted series and podcasts. It could also leverage its ties to Manning’s Omaha Productions, which worked on shows such as Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli for ESPN and the upcoming Hulu series Chad Powers starring Glen Powell.