EXCLUSIVE: Peyton Manning and Brent Montgomery are grilling up a major new investment in competitive barbequing.
Manning’s Omaha Productions and Montgomery’s Wheelhouse have invested in the BBQ World Cup & Expo, which they believe can become a major global sports property.
The BBQ World Cup & Expo was founded by CEO Scott Erdmann and President Shannon Pruitt earlier this year. The company is launching 51 established qualifying events across 13 countries into one championship season that will see the top 100 pitmasters advance to the BBQ World Cup & Expo in Las Vegas, April 8 to 11, 2027 to compete for $1M.
It will use the investment to build the inaugural event, expand BBQ United into a year-round digital home for barbecue fans and competitors and launch Smoke Ring, a creator network that brings leading barbecue creators together.
David Swinghamer, founding CEO of Shake Shack, joins as co-founder and partner, while advisors include Charlie Ebersol, RBB Ventures Reed Bergman, Whiskey Bent BBQ founder Chad Ward and Steve Ziff.
“The pitmasters built this sport over decades,” said Scott Erdmann. “This investment lets us build the season, the community and the stage around them, and gives the brands that already live in barbecue a way to show up all year.” “Sports properties are built when a competition, a community and the right partners come together,” added Shannon Pruitt. “Competitive barbecue has had the first two for decades. With Wheelhouse and Omaha, it has the partners to build the stage, and to give brands and fans a season to follow from the first qualifier to the final turn-in in Las Vegas.”
“Every sport starts as a community before it becomes a property,” said Wheelhouse CEO Brent Montgomery. “Barbecue has the competitors, the events and the fans. Scott and Shannon built the season that connects them, and that is the moment you invest. Doing it alongside Peyton and Omaha made it an easy call.”
“We’re proud to invest in the BBQ World Cup & Expo,” added Peyton Manning. “At Omaha we create content to uplift and unify, and BBQ can bring people together in the same way. I’m excited to see these talented pitmasters compete on a championship stage.”