How cornhole went from tailgate pastime to $7.7 million competitive sport with brand deals and playing full-time
Many people think that playing cornhole with friends and family at tailgating, barbecues, or dive bars is enjoyable.
However, the sport, which is usually played in couples but can also be played one-on-one, is rapidly gathering support from TV networks and advertisers and is headed toward true professional status.
Front Office Sports reports that the total prize money earned by professional cornhole players in 2024 was $7.7 MILLION.
Top players are earning handsome salaries to play in the American Cornhole League, which has broadcast agreements with ESPN and CBS Sports.
With the broadcast agreement up for renewal later this year, ESPN aired over 300 hours of cornhole in 2024, primarily on ESPN+ but also occasionally on the main channel.
The pro-am ‘SuperHole’ game attracts athletes and celebrities, including two-time winner Doug Flutie, WWE star Charlotte Flair, Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore, Chad Ochocinco, and Steve Smith that compete.
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“My favorite game out there is cornhole,” Rob Gronkowski, a well-known fan of the game, once told ESPN.
“I love cornhole and when you sink four shots in a row against your opponent, it’s a great feeling.”
Shemar Moore, an actor from S.W.A.T., won the 2024 SuperHole, which donates $150,000 to charity.
During an interview on the Kelly Clarkson show, he claimed that the game “brings people together” and described it as “serious business at [his] house.”
These days, the top ACL earners routinely earn over $50,000 a year from prize money alone, in addition to sponsorship agreements and brand endorsements.
Only around 20% of the league’s players are full-time pros, according to ACL commissioner Stacey Moore, and many athletes balance the sport with other professions.
His ultimate goal is for every player to become a professional, which he believes might happen in three to five years.
With $61,458 in prize money, Jeremiah Ellis was the sport’s second-highest earner in 2024.
The father of four balances his ACL obligations by working as a UPS package delivery driver and participating in tournaments on the weekends or during his vacation time.
He said to FOS: “It’s cruel. Most of the time, I simply feel so tired.
“But the mind s more powerful than the body.”
The top female player, Cheyenne Bubenheim, earned $54,650 in 2024, ranking fifth overall.
She stepped away from her house-cleaning job to become a full-time professional player three years ago.
Although winnings are a pleasant perk, Bubenheim states: “The biggest thing for me is sponsorship, just because that’s a guaranteed monthly payment.”
Titan Cornhole Bags is Bubenheim’s main sponsor. She has a baby daughter.
According to Moore, the majority of players generate around equal income from prize money and sponsorship deals, although for elite players, the former may surpass the latter.
Using a somewhat different strategy, Adrian Johnson has been able to capitalize on and make money from a sizable social media following.
He has nearly a million followers on all platforms, including 295,000 on TikTok, where he posts inspirational lectures and cornhole videos.
“I set myself up where I don’t have to rely on just winning the prize money,” Johnson said to FOS.
“It is our responsibility as professional cornhole athletes to promote ourselves in various ways. And I decided to go that way on my own initiative.”
Citing the surge of new talent who might have more time to play, Bubenheim adds that everyday practice is essential to staying at the top of the game.
“If you re not a full-time cornhole player, and you re not putting in the time and effort, people will pass you,” she asserts.
Additionally, Cornhole is not depending on media funding to expand the sport, in contrast to the majority of major sports leagues.
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Moore went on: “We think that, given the volume of viewers we’re generating, particularly on the streaming side, we should be paid a sizable rights fee.
However, rights payments are not the foundation of our business strategy. Memberships and sponsorship licensing are the foundation upon which we are constructing it.