Travis Kelce’s business venture timeline: From Tru Kolors and New Heights to Garage Beer, sports investments and more
He has also invested in Formula 1, Six Flags and the Cleveland Guardians, while exploring new opportunities in college sports. Travis Kelce’s first major business move came in 2019 when he launched Tru Kolors, his own clothing and lifestyle brand. The brand received another major opportunity in August 2025 when American Eagle introduced its AE x Tru Kolors collection. The collection featured more than 90 pieces, bringing his personal fashion ideas to a much larger retail audience. In 2022, he joined his older brother Jason Kelce to launch the New Heights podcast. On August 27, 2024, Amazon’s Wondery announced a three-year agreement to handle its distribution and advertising. The deal was widely reported by Variety to be worth more than $100 million.
Travis Kelce has found ways to build his career beyond the NFL, with investments in sports teams, fashion, media and consumer brands. The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has developed a business portfolio that includes his clothing company Tru Kolors, the popular New Heights podcast and Ohio-based Garage Beer. Fashion had been one of his interests since childhood, and he wanted to turn that passion into something beyond his football career. The brand focuses on sports-inspired clothing, casual wear and personal style. It also gave Kelce a chance to build a name in the fashion industry rather than depend only on his NFL earnings. Kelce worked as the creative director and took part in the design process, including the selection of fabrics, colors and styles. However, fashion was not the only industry Kelce wanted to explore. The two brothers began discussing football, NFL stories, sports personalities and their experiences both on and off the field. Their natural conversations and different personalities helped the show reach audiences beyond regular football fans. The podcast became one of the biggest parts of Travis’s business portfolio. Under the agreement, Wondery received the rights to distribute and monetize the show’s audio and video episodes. Listeners also gained access to early and ad-free episodes through Wondery+.
Another important step came in October 2023 when Kelce joined an investor group connected to Alpine F1 Team. The group had invested €200 million for a 24% stake in Alpine Racing. One of Travis Kelce’s biggest business partnerships began in June 2024 when he and Jason Kelce became significant investors, owners and operators of Garage Beer, an independent light beer company based in Ohio. Both brothers planned to take part in several areas of the business, including brewing, distribution, sales, marketing and expansion into new markets, according to Garage Beer’s June 12 announcement. In September 2025, Durational Capital Management made a strategic investment in Garage Beer, adding another financial partner to its growth plans. The latest major financial development came in October 2026. Tiger Finance announced that it had provided Garage Beer with a $20 million revolving credit facility. It is important to understand that this is a credit facility, not a $20 million investment made by Travis Kelce. On September 2, 2025, Recover 180 announced that he had joined the company as an investor and brand partner. Recover 180 sells organic sports drinks designed for hydration and recovery. Recover 180 connects more closely with his experience as a professional athlete While Garage Beer focuses on the beverage market. Kelce’s interest in sports and entertainment investments continued in October 2025 when he joined an investor group connected to Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. 2025, the group collectively held an economic interest of approximately 9% in Six Flags, according to the announcement released on October 21. In May 2026, Kelce added another major sports investment when the Cleveland Guardians announced that he had joined their ownership group as a minority investor. Kelce’s business activities continued in August 2026 when Publicis Sports announced the launch of TEKTA in partnership with him and his representation firm, 3 Arts Sports. Kelce joined the venture as an adviser, while 3 Arts Sports became its strategic operating partner. The announcement was made on August 18, 2026, through an official Publicis Groupe press release. Join conversation Share your thoughts in the comments Be respectful · TOI community guidelines Garage Beer also remains an important part of his business activities, with the October 2026 credit facility providing the company with additional financial support for its expansion plans. From starting Tru Kolors in 2019 to entering the college sports marketing business in 2026, Kelce has developed interests across several industries.
Because the brothers were not simply lending their names to a product, the partnership was important. Because kelce grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the announcement came on May 27, 2026, and was especially meaningful. Because brands are increasingly looking to work with college athletes and connect with younger sports audiences, this is an important area of business.
The Cleveland Guardians confirmed the news through an official announcement, while Kelce also discussed the investment on an episode of New Heights . The group included fellow NFL star Patrick Mahomes, golfer Rory McIlroy, boxer Anthony Joshua and other well-known athletes. The investment was led by Otro Capital, alongside RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments. Kelce joined as one of its strategic investors, not as an individual controlling owner. Their connection with the company also had a personal side. Both Travis and Jason played college football at the University of Cincinnati, and Garage Beer was originally created in Cincinnati. The brothers were already familiar with the region and wanted to work with a brand that had roots in their home state. Their involvement helped bring more attention to the company, but the business also continued working on its own expansion plans. The funding is meant to support the company’s growth, help it enter additional markets and give it room to expand its product range. Apart from the beer business, Kelce also entered the sports hydration market. This partnership added another consumer brand to his portfolio. His association with the company includes both a financial investment and a role in promoting the brand. The group was led by JANA Partners and also included business executives Glenn Murphy and Dave Habiger. The investors wanted the company to improve its business performance, attract more visitors and offer a better experience to people visiting its amusement parks. Kelce also had a personal connection with the brand, as he had visited Six Flags parks while growing up. His role was part of a wider investment effort. He did not purchase the entire company or become its controlling owner. Instead, he joined other investors who wanted to work with the company’s leadership to improve its performance and create more value for shareholders. He has spoken about his childhood memories of attending baseball games in Cleveland with his family and friends. Becoming part of the Guardians’ ownership group gave him an opportunity to invest in a team that had been close to him since childhood. He expressed his excitement about returning to his hometown in a new role and becoming part of the organization. Unlike his involvement with Garage Beer, where he and Jason have operational responsibilities, the Guardians investment is a minority ownership position. The club did not announce a specific ownership percentage or the amount Kelce invested. The venture focuses on name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities in college sports. NIL rules allow college athletes in the United States to earn money through commercial deals involving their names, images and personal brands. TEKTA aims to help companies find suitable college athletes, create partnerships and measure the results of their marketing campaigns. Publicis Sports brings its marketing experience and relationships with advertisers, while Kelce contributes his experience as a professional athlete with a strong commercial profile. It also showed that Kelce was interested in business opportunities beyond traditional sports investments and consumer products. His involvement with TEKTA is different from his positions in Alpine F1, Six Flags and the Cleveland Guardians. He is not buying an ownership stake in a sports franchise through this venture. Instead, he is helping build a business that connects brands with college athletes. Some of his ventures involve active business roles, while others are minority investments or advisory partnerships. Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.