MANY see the sport of cornhole as a enjoyable factor to with pals and households at barbecues, tailgates or in a dive bar.

However the sport – sometimes performed in pairs but in addition one vs one – is shortly gaining momentum with sponsors and TV networks and is nicely on its technique to turning into really skilled.

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In accordance with Entrance Workplace Sports activities, skilled cornhole gamers made $7.7 MILLION in mixed prize cash in 2024.

The American Cornhole League has broadcast offers with ESPN and CBS Sports activities and prime gamers are cashing good checks to play the game.

ESPN confirmed round 300 hours of cornhole in 2024 – totally on ESPN+ however often on the flagship channel – with the published deal up for extension later this 12 months

Athletes and celebrities pop as much as play within the pro-am ‘SuperHole’ sport, with the likes of Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino, Chad Ochocinco and Steve Smith amongst these to play, Doug Flutie a two-time winner and WWE star Charlotte Aptitude additionally a winner.

Rob Gronkowski is a recognized lover of the sport and beforehand advised ESPN: “My favourite sport out there’s cornhole.

“I like cornhole and while you sink 4 photographs in a row towards your opponent, it is an amazing feeling.”

S.W.A.T actor Shemar Moore was a winner of the 2024 SuperHole – which sees $150,000 donated to charity.

He mentioned it “brings individuals collectively” and through an look on the Kelly Clarkson present, mentioned that the sport was “critical enterprise at [his] home.”

The largest earners within the ACL at the moment are commonly taking house $50,000-plus yearly simply from prize cash, in addition to getting sponsorship offers and model endorsements.

Many gamers juggle the game with different jobs and ACL commissioner Stacey Moore says that solely round 20% of the leagues gamers are full-time professionals.

His final purpose having all gamers flip professional and he thinks that might occur in three to 5 years.

Jeremiah Ellis was the second-highest earner within the sport in 2024, profitable $61,458 in prize cash.

The daddy of 4 splits his ACL commitments with a job delivering packages for UPS, taking part in in tournaments over weekends or whereas utilizing trip.

He advised FOS: “It’s brutal. I simply really feel fully exhausted most instances.

“However the thoughts’s extra highly effective than the physique.”

Cheyenne Bubenheim is the highest feminine participant and banked $54,650 in 2024 – good for fifth total.

She has been a full-time skilled participant for 3 years after stepping again from a house-cleaning enterprise she owned.

Whereas prize cash is a pleasant bonus, Bubenheim says: “The largest factor for me is sponsorship, simply because that’s a assured month-to-month cost.”

Bubenheim, who has an toddler daughter, has Titan Cornhole Baggage as her prime sponsor.

For prime gamers, sponsorship offers can outweigh the money they earn from prize cash, however Moore says most gamers usher in roughly equal income from the 2 streams.

Adrian Johnson has taken a barely totally different method and managed to leverage and monetize a big social media following.

He has nearly one million throughout all platforms, together with 295,000 on TikTok, the place shares cornhole vidoes in addition to motivational speeches.

Johnson advised FOS: “I set myself up the place I don’t must depend on simply profitable the prize cash.

“As an expert athlete in cornhole, it’s as much as us to market ourselves in several methods. And I took the initiative and went that route.”

Bubenheim additionally says that day by day observe is a should to remain on the prime of the sport, citing the inflow of younger expertise who could have extra time to play.

“In case you’re not a full-time cornhole participant, and also you’re not placing within the effort and time, individuals will move you,” she says.

And in contrast to most main sports activities leagues, cornhole is not counting on media cash to develop the game.

Moore added: “We consider that we deserve a major rights payment for the quantity of viewers we’re doing, particularly on the streaming aspect.

“However we’re not constructing our enterprise mannequin based mostly on rights charges. We’re constructing it off of sponsorship licensing and memberships.”