Piqué, who founded sports and media company Kosmos, has become a strategic shareholder in the Global Chess League franchise Fyers American Gambits. The investment was announced at a press conference in Bengaluru ahead of the league’s fourth edition, scheduled for September.
The move places chess within a wider investment trend in which established athletes and sports entrepreneurs seek opportunities beyond traditional football, basketball and cricket assets.
The Global Chess League is backed by Tech Mahindra and the international chess governing body FIDE. Its franchise model aims to package chess as a commercially scalable spectator sport, using shorter formats and digital distribution to reach wider audiences.
The investment case is broader than the traditional economics of tournament chess. Franchise structures can create multiple revenue streams through sponsorship, broadcasting rights, digital content, merchandise and live events.
Chess also benefits from a global audience that is less geographically concentrated than many established sports. Digital platforms have made it possible for competitions and players to reach audiences without relying solely on physical stadium attendance.
For investors, that creates an opportunity to treat sports properties increasingly as media and entertainment assets rather than simply sporting organisations.
Piqué is not alone in recognising the opportunity. Reuters reported that other prominent sports figures, including cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin and Norwegian athletes Erling Haaland and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, have invested in chess-related ventures.
The commercial model still faces execution risks. Sustaining audience growth, attracting sponsors and converting digital engagement into recurring revenue will determine whether emerging sports franchises can justify their valuations.
What to watch: Global Chess League viewership, sponsorship growth, franchise economics and whether athlete-backed investment spreads into other digitally scalable sports.
