The NCL’s additional backers include NFL stars Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James, Founder Collective, and former NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts.
The National Cycling League, the first pro cycling league of its kind, has added Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman‘s Boardroom Sports Holdings, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, and former Heisman Trophy winner and Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard as investors, the league announced Wednesday.
The league is comprised of 10 teams across men’s and women’s divisions that compete in 25- to 30-lap NCL Cup races on courses of two to three kilometers each in order to score points in the overall league standings. Points are scored in real time during races and riders can substitute in and out of the action, enabling a structure that’s more appealing to fans, including the more than 50 million cyclists in the US. The NCL is also the first majority-women-owned and minority-owned professional sports league in the US and is committed to diversity and inclusion.
“We’re excited to be a part of National Cycling League and its fan-focused business model,” Kleiman, Boardroom’s CEO and co-founder, said on the occasion. “We’re committed to helping the league grow and get even more eyes on the sport.”
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BSH, Robbins, and Howard join existing NCL investors Founder Collective, Collab Capital, Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Chargers Pro Bowler Derwin James, Tennessee Titans Pro Bowler Kevin Byard, NFL analyst and author Emmanuel Acho, and former NBPA executive director Michele Roberts.
The NCL joins a diverse and robust group of investments for Boardroom Sports Holdings that includes MLS club Philadelphia Union, the NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC, Major League Pickleball’s Brooklyn Aces, Athletes Unlimited, League One Volleyball, TMRW Sports, and the Premier Lacrosse League.
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