PWHL adds Kilmer Sports Ventures, Ilitch Companies as first outside investors
PWHL adds Kilmer Sports Ventures, Ilitch Companies as first outside investors
Kilmer Sports Ventures and Ilitch Companies are the PWHL's first outside investors since its establishment in 2023. David Berding / Getty Images
By Hailey SalvianJune 22, 2026 UpdatedJust one month after completing its third season, the Professional Women’s Hockey League has added its first outside investment, the league announced Monday morning.
Kilmer Sports Ventures, which is led by Toronto businessman Larry Tanenbaum, and Ilitch Companies, the parent company of the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and MLB’s Detroit Tigers, have joined the league as partners.
According to Sportico, the league has received a $100 million investment; however, financial terms were not disclosed in the league’s announcement. This is the first time the PWHL, which was established in 2023, has accepted outside capital.
“It’s hard to overstate the significance of this,” Stan Kasten, a member of the PWHL’s advisory board who is also the president of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, told The Athletic. “It really says more than any press release could about how far we’ve come and what the future holds when we have people of this stature stepping up and telling the world of what they have seen and what they believe our future is.”
According to Kasten, the league opened up a round of investment and ended with two “big-time, savvy, world-class” investors. The money isn’t earmarked for anything specific, Kasten said, but will “help us continue the momentum.”
“We got more than what we needed to continue our growth,” he said, “and that’s all to the benefit of the whole league.”
Kilmer Sports owns a stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the parent company of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. Kilmer Sports also recently paid a $50 million expansion fee to bring the WNBA to Toronto with the Toronto Tempo. Ilitch Companies is based in Detroit and run by Chris Ilitch, who also manages Little Caesars Arena, home of the Red Wings and the PWHL’s new expansion franchise in Detroit, as well as other entertainment venues across the region.
“Building world-class women’s sports organizations that inspire the next generation of athletes, fans, and leaders is how you create something that truly lasts. We saw that opportunity first with the Tempo, Canada’s first WNBA team, and now we’re proud to deepen that commitment through this significant investment in the PWHL,” Tanenbaum said in a release. “What Mark Walter and PWHL senior leadership have built so quickly is incredible, and we’re honored to be part of this league and everything it stands for.”
Since its inception, the league has operated under a single-entity ownership model, meaning Walter — the billionaire owner of the Dodgers — and his wife, Kimbra, own the league and its franchises. There has been no change to the league’s operations, with Amy Scheer (executive vice president of business operations) and Jayna Hefford (executive vice president of hockey operations) reporting to the advisory board, which includes Kasten, tennis legend Billie Jean King and King’s partner, Ilana Kloss.
Kasten told The Athletic there are no current plans to solicit individual franchise owners, which is a departure from the traditional ownership model used by major North American sports leagues.
“This is more about being able to tap Larry and Chris’s networks, being able to get advice from their experience,” Kasten said. “(They are) deeply embedded in hockey and in women’s sports. … Having one American investor like this and one Canadian investor like this, we thought, was the perfect combination for us at this time to continue our growth, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
The PWHL officially dropped the puck in January 2024 with six original franchises and expanded for the first time ahead of the 2025-26 season, adding teams in Vancouver and Seattle.
The league has since experienced record growth in its third season, surpassing one million fans in attendance in a season for the first time. Average attendance rose 28 percent from 7,230 spectators in 2024-25 to 9,304 this season — a 71 percent increase over the inaugural season in 2024.
Next season, the league will officially welcome teams in Detroit; Hamilton, Ontario; Las Vegas and San Jose, increasing its size to 12 teams spread more widely across North America. Initially, Kasten said he thought it would take 10 or 12 years to reach that size.
“But it’s all just happening,” he said. “The interest is there, the support is there from various marketplaces, and so this was a good time to bring in this additional support and let us continue on our path.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
