Sportainment companies are booming.
Sportainment is defined as activities and events which combine sports and entertainment to create a more engaging experience.
This includes:
• Interactive games
• Immersive experiences
• Dining before, during, or after sporting events
• Social AR/VR experiences
And it’s happening across many different sports including basketball, golf, bowling, pickleball, baseball, table tennis, and soccer.
The rapid growth of the space proves fans don’t just want to watch sports, they want to experience them firsthand with others.
With the emergence of technology, there are several new ways for fans and consumers to experience their favorite sports.
This technology is expanding outside of leagues and teams to urban settings where these sportainment companies can build upon these innovative social experiences for fans in local communities.
Why is this beneficial?
In the long term, this leads back to more awareness, growth, and ultimately revenue for respective leagues and teams.
As more institutional capital enters into sports, there’s no doubt that we’ll see this trickle down into these urban venues which will continue to fuel their growth nationwide.
Here are 25 sportainment companies we think you should keep your eye on:
BatBox
Founder/CEO: José Vargas
Website: https://www.batboxusa.com/
Location: Addison, Texas
Sport: Baseball
Year Founded: 2019
What they do: BatBox offers an immersive baseball-themed entertainment experience. They integrate advanced Strikezon baseball simulators with high-quality hospitality services, creating a unique sports and dining experience.
Amount raised: $7.3M Series A
Puttshack
Founder/CEO: Co-founders are David Jolliffe, Steven Jolliffe, and Adam Breeden. The current Co-CEOs are Joseph Vrankin and Logan Powell
Website: https://www.puttshack.com/
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2018
What they do: Puttshack combines tech-enhanced mini golf with a food and drink offering, providing a socializing experience for various audiences.
Amount raised: $255.9M
DriveShack
Founder/CEO: Currently, Mike Compton is serving as interim CEO following the departure of Hana Khouri in 2023.
Website: https://www.driveshack.com/
Location: Dallas, Texas
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2018
What they do: DriveShack combines golf and entertainment with socializing, offering venues with golf-related experiences and high-tech features.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
JumpShot Inc
Founder/CEO: Derrick Mayes
Website: https://jumpshotlive.com/
Location: San Francisco, California
Sport: Basketball
Year Founded: 2022
What they do: JumpShot creates interactive basketball experiences using cutting-edge technology to bring people together through competitive sports and entertainment.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Top Golf
Founder/CEO: Artie Starrs (CEO)
Website: https://topgolf.com/
Location: Dallas, Texas
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2000
What they do: TopGolf is a global sports entertainment company that blends technology-driven golf experiences with dining and interactive social events.
Amount raised: Approximately $525M raised
TOCA Social
Founder/CEO: Co-founded by Eddie Lewis (Founder) and Yoshi Maruyama (CEO)
Website: https://www.toca.social/
Location: London, England
Sport: Soccer
Year Founded: 2021
What they do: TOCA Social is an interactive soccer-themed entertainment and dining venue, offering immersive soccer experiences paired with world-class food and beverages.
Amount raised: $105M Series E
Chicken N Pickle
Founder/CEO: Dave Johnson (Founder), Brad Clarke (CEO)
Website: https://chickennpickle.com/
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Sport: Pickleball
Year Founded: 2016
What they do: Chicken N Pickle is a restaurant and family entertainment center that combines pickleball courts with a casual dining experience. It offers a space for people to play pickleball, enjoy food, live music, lawn games, and community events.
Amount raised: $10M
Home Run Dugout
Founder/CEO: Co-founded by Nick Hermandorfer (CEO) and Tyler Bambrick.
Website: https://www.homerundugout.com/
Location: Katy, Texas
Sport: Baseball
Year Founded: 2015
What they do: Home Run Dugout offers a unique baseball entertainment experience featuring patented Batting Bays™ with soft-toss pitching machines and simulated gameplay.
Amount raised: $22.5M Series A
Bowlero
Founder/CEO: Thomas F. Shannon
Website: https://www.bowlero.com
Location: Mechanicsville, VA
Sport: Bowling
Year Founded: 1997
What they do: Bowlero is a leading bowling entertainment company operating venues under brands like AMF, Bowlmor Lanes, and Bowlero.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Puttery
Founder/CEO: Hana Khouri (CEO of Drive Shack Inc., which owns Puttery)
Website: https://www.puttery.com/
Location: Dallas, Texas
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2021
What they do: Puttery offers a modern twist on mini-golf with tech-enabled, themed putting courses combined with craft cocktails, food, and music.
Amount raised: $10M
Five Iron Golf
Founder/CEO: Jared Solomon, co-founded with Nora Dunnan, Mike Doyle, and Katherine Solomon.
Website: https://fiveirongolf.com/
Location: New York, New York
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2017
What they do: Five Iron Golf offers urban indoor golf experiences with a focus on making golf more accessible and enjoyable for all skill levels. Each location includes golf simulators, professional lessons, a full bar, a food menu, and event spaces. They also have a custom club-fitting service, the Fitting Lab.
Amount raised: $20M
F1 Arcade
Founder/CEO: Adam Breeden
Website: https://f1arcade.com/
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Sport: Racing
Year Founded: 2022
What they do: F1 Arcade offers a fully immersive Formula 1 racing experience through advanced simulators, paired with high-end dining and hospitality services. Guests can experience the thrill of driving an F1 car in virtual races at dedicated venues.
Amount raised: $130M in Growth Financing
Sofive Soccer Centers
Founder/CEO: Charles Lagayette
Website: https://www.sofive.com/
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Sport: Soccer
Year Founded: 2015
What they do: Sofive operates state-of-the-art, small-sided soccer centers, offering 5-a-side soccer leagues, tournaments, and corporate events. The company aims to make soccer more accessible through high-quality facilities.
Amount raised: $38.5M
PingPod
Founder/CEO: David Silberman, Max Kogler, and Ernesto Ebuen
Website: https://pingpod.com/
Location: New York, New York
Sport: Table Tennis
Year Founded: 2019
What they do: PingPod is an autonomous table tennis chain, offering tech-enabled table tennis facilities that operate 24/7. Users can reserve tables via an app, and the company emphasizes a tech-driven and convenient approach to recreational table tennis.
Amount raised: $10M Series A
Sixes Social Cricket
Founder/CEO: Calum Mackinnon and Andy Waugh
Website: https://sixescricket.com/
Location: London, England
Sport: Cricket
Year Founded: 2020
What they do: Sixes Social Cricket combines a social experience with cricket, offering immersive cricket batting games using advanced technology. Players can test their skills against simulated bowlers while enjoying premium food and drinks.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
SPIN
Founder/CEO: Co-founded by Susan Sarandon, Jonathan Bricklin, Franck Raharinosy, Andrew Gordon, and Wally Green. Current CEO is Pieter Vanermen.
Website: https://wearespin.com/
Location: New York, New York
Sport: Table Tennis
Year Founded: 2009
What they do: SPiN is a social ping-pong club that combines table tennis with dining and drinks. It promotes social interaction and hosts events in multiple cities across the U.S. and Canada.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Padel Haus
Founder/CEO: Santiago Gomez
Website: https://www.padel.haus/
Location: New York, New York
Sport: Padel
Year Founded: 2022
What they do: Padel Haus is a New York-based club dedicated to the rapidly growing sport of padel. It offers premium playing facilities and a social atmosphere for enthusiasts.
Amount raised: $7.5M Series A
BigHoops
Founder/CEO: Paul and Dan Brown
Website: https://www.bighoops.com/
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Sport: Basketball
Year Founded: 2022
What they do: BigHoops is a tech-driven basketball entertainment experience similar to Topgolf, providing an immersive social experience with AI-driven basketball games for players of all skill levels. Their machines use a four-axis system to adapt gameplay, making it accessible and fun for all participants
Amount raised: $500K
PopStroke
Founder/CEO: Greg Bartoli
Website: https://popstroke.com/
Location: Jupiter, Florida
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2019
What they do: PopStroke offers an immersive golf experience, combining unique putting courses with dining and social spaces. The concept was co-developed with Tiger Woods’ design firm to create fun and accessible mini-golf experiences.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Swingers
Founder/CEO: Matt Grech-Smith and Jeremy Simmond
Website: https://www.swingers.club/us
Location: London, England
Sport: Golf
Year Founded: 2014
What they do: Swingers combines mini-golf with a social atmosphere, offering a unique experience that blends crazy golf with bars, street food, and live DJs. The concept has expanded from London to the U.S. with flagship locations in New York City and Washington D.C.
Amount raised: $52M Series C
Pinheads
Founder/CEO: Kevin Walter
Website: https://bowlatpinheads.com/
Location: Fishers, Indiana
Sport: Bowling
Year Founded: 2005
What they do: Pinheads is an entertainment complex offering bowling, a restaurant (Alley’s Alehouse), and a variety of events and social experiences. It provides a family-friendly venue for social gatherings, leagues, and private events
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Winter Sports World
Founder/CEO: Peter Magnisalis
Website: https://www.wintersportsworld.com.au/
Location: Sydney, Australia
Sport: Skiing
Year Founded: 2018
What they do: Winter Sports World (WSW) is a world-class indoor snow resort offering activities such as skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, and snow play. It will feature a 300-meter ski run, a winter wonderland for beginners, and elite athlete training facilities. The complex will also include a 170-room hotel, restaurants, and cafes, aiming to provide year-round snow experiences.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Smash Park
Founder/CEO: Monty Lockyear
Website: https://smashpark.com/
Location: West Des Moines, Iowa
Sport: Multiple
Year Founded: 2018
What they do: Smash Park is an “eatertainment” venue that combines a wide variety of activities such as pickleball, axe throwing, duckpin bowling, arcade games, and karaoke with scratch-made food and craft beverages. It offers both indoor and outdoor spaces, making it a community-focused entertainment destination.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
THRōW Social
Founder/CEO: Ginger Flesher-Sonnier
Website: https://www.throwsocial.com/
Location: Delray Beach, Florida
Sport: Multiple
Year Founded: 2022
What they do: THRōW Social is a tropical venue combining cocktails, cabanas, games, live music & entertainment, & more.
Amount raised: Not Disclosed
Goodsurf
Founder/CEO: Zach Shor
Website: https://www.goodsurf.co/
Location: Dallas, Texas
Sport: Surfing
Year Founded: 2023
What they do: Goodsurf is a restaurant and bar with a Citywave wave pool for patrons to test their surfing skills, plus pickleball courts.
Amount raised: $100M in Debt Commitments
