Buyouts’ Post

As a sports organization leader, you want to do all you can for your athletes. But funds can be tight. The good news is that you don’t have to fund your organization with just registration fees! Follow these 3 steps to attract sponsors and set your program apart from the competition 🥳 https://buff.ly/4deqVCc

The Avenue Sports Fund, the sports investment arm of the Avenue Capital Group, has made further moves in women’s sports by investing in Mercury/13, the multi-club ownership (MCO) group focusing specifically on women’s teams. #SportsBiz #WomenSports #Investing https://lnkd.in/gumxWwTt Read the Business of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) 2024 – Property Profile, Sponsorship and Media Landscape report here: https://lnkd.in/gWBkm4B8

Players Health, a mission-driven sports safety technology company, has raised $60 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total venture funding to over $100 million. https://lnkd.in/eQ965tKT

How Arctos Sports Fund became a major player in global football investment When Liverpool Football Club face Atalanta B.C. in the UEFA Europa League in Bergamo later tonight, for one of the watching parties, albeit one that few in attendance will have heard of, it presents the archetypal win-win situation. Arctos Sports, a specialised private equity company with offices in New York, Texas and London, hold 5 per cent stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool, and 45 per cent of La Dea, the holding company, which owns Atalanta. Arctos Sports has recently closed its second sports investment fund at an impressive $4.2 billion, further solidifying its position as a significant entity in the world of professional sports. 1. What makes Arctos Sports Fund a significant player in European football? Arctos has strategically invested in major football clubs like Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Atalanta. Their approach has emphasized not just the financial investment but also leveraging club assets to maximize growth and performance. This selective and strategic approach places them as a key player in the European football landscape. 2. What is Arctos Sports Fund’s investment strategy? Arctos primarily focuses on acquiring minority stakes in sports teams, providing them with growth capital and operational support. This strategy is aimed at clubs that present a real opportunity for growth beyond just financial liquidity, ensuring that their investment contributes to the long-term success and expansion of these clubs. 3. How does Arctos Sports Fund choose its investments? Arctos employs a rigorous, criteria-driven approach to select teams that are poised for growth. This involves evaluating factors like academy operations, player trading capabilities, brand strength, and stadium infrastructure. This meticulous approach ensures that only the best and most viable clubs are chosen, with only about 10 to 15 clubs in Europe meeting their stringent criteria. 4. What are the future prospects for Arctos Sports Fund? Arctos is likely to continue expanding its influence in the sports world, possibly in collaboration with existing partners. Their recent investments and the strategic partnerships they have nurtured suggest an ongoing expansion and deeper involvement in both American and European sports. The future looks promising as they explore more opportunities in a highly selective market. #SportsBusiness #Football #SportsBiz #Finance #Data #Intelligence #Investment

Private Equity is CHANGING Sports FOREVER! Explore the evolving landscape of sports ownership! This video analyzes the impact of private equity on team valuations and the push for diversity and inclusion in sports leadership. Learn about significant changes and the future of sports investment. #SportsOwnership #PrivateEquity #SportsInvestment #DEI #DiversityInSports #RooneyRule #SportsBusiness #TeamValuation #LeagueExpansion #FutureOfSports ['#SportsOwnership', '#PrivateEquity', '#SportsInvestment', '#DEI', '#DiversityInSports', '#RooneyRule', '#SportsBusiness', '#TeamValuation', '#LeagueExpansion', '#FutureOfSports']

Sidley is representing Mercury/13 in its partnership with Avenue Sports Fund through which Avenue Sports Fund has made a significant investment in Mercury/13. In this new partnership, Mercury/13 will continue its mission to build the world's leading multi-club ownership group by acquiring women's football franchises in Europe and accelerating their commercial trajectories. As part of the partnership with Avenue Sports Fund, a leading global sports investment fund of Avenue Capital Group, former USWNT star Lauren Holiday has joined Mercury/13’s board of directors. The Sidley team was led by partner Charles Baker, and includes Nick DeAngelis, Dylan Sherwyn, and Alyssa (Ally) Levy. Read more here, https://bit.ly/49IcjJP. 

Nice to get the briefest of mention in todays Off The Pitch Article on Arctos Sports Partners, my recent article has sparked much discussion across industry, my post below reveals the facts and if you combine this with OFP you can gage some of the thinking behind Arctos strategy from the key people within. https://lnkd.in/ejAUQn32 ---- ARCTOS Sports Partners Launch Fund II Multiple minority stakes - Does influence come in return for investment. ARCTOS PE Investors have closed a second round of investment creating ARCTOS Fund II, generating $4.2bn, $7bn combined with Fund I and will represent the world’s largest aggregation of institutional capital dedicated exclusively to professional sports investment. ARCTOS (HQ Dallas) founded 2019, ARCTOS Sports Fund launched 2020. ARCTOS co-founders Ian Charles and Doc O’Connor former CEO Madison Square Garden. ARCTOS objective is to buy small stakes in professional sports organisations to provide liquidity for growth and value creation strategies. ARCTOS Fund II, closed with over $4.1 billion in capital commitments from a diverse group of global investors, including some of the world’s leading pension funds, retirement systems, endowments and insurance companies. Approximately 30% of Fund II’s capital ($1.2bn) will be deployed across fund I franchises whilst the remaining 70% will enter new franchises and leagues. ARCTOS Investments  Soccer / Football Club 2023 - Increased its minority stake in HBSE which has a 36% stake Crystal Palace through Josh Harris & David Blitzer combined shareholding. David Blitzer also has a portfolio of clubs including FC Augsburg, AP Alcorcón, Bronby, ADO Den Haag, SK Beveren & Estoril split under different holding companies. 2023 - 12.5% Stake in QSI ($400m+) who own PSG and QSI also has a 29% stake in Portuguese club Braga. 2022 - 45% in La Dea, the holding company which owns 86% of Atalanta (Serie A) 2022 - Minority Stake in MLS side Real Salt Lake along with David Blitzer, Ryan Smith 2022 - 15% Stake in both MLS side Portland Timbers and NWSL's Portland Thorns. 2020 - 5% stake in Fenway Sports Group which includes Liverpool American Sports  2020 - 5% into FSG who own Boston Red Sox & Pittsburgh Penguins. 2022 - Minority stakes in MLB sides Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants & San Diego Padres. 2023 - 20%+ NHL Franchise Tampa Bay Lightening, first investment 2021 upped in 2023 2021 - 10% stake NHL Minnesota Wild Through investment into HBSE has a minority stake in New Jersey devils  2021 - 5% in Golden State Warriors, upped to 13% 2022. 2021 - 17% stake in Sacramento Kings paying $306m (£223m) 2022 Utah Jazz through Smith Entertainment Group, Ryan Smith who together also purchased MLS Side Real Salt Lake Other Sports * Joe Gibbs Racing.  * F1 Aston Martin * Elevate Sports Ventures consultancy, * Professional Lacrosse League

Recent data paints a clear picture: there is a major influx of capital being raised and revenue being generated by professional sports; the WNBA is no exception. Thanks to a $75 million fundraising round by the league in 2022, last year there were "36 million total unique viewers across all national networks... the WNBA had its most-watched regular season in more than two decades... and game attendance was up 16% from 2022. [In 2023], the league brought in more than $200 million in revenue, a 200%-plus year-over-year increase." WNBA staff members acknowledge the critical role that raising capital has played in their success. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert was quoted saying, "When I joined the league in 2019, we had one marketing person. Now we have 26. That capital allowed us to hire people so that we could get to work on analytics and fan data, as well as social media. We could also deploy a digital transformation through our app. All of that is really, really important." As pro sports leagues continue to raise funds to better achieve their short-and-long term goals, XChange Place is providing passionate fans with the opportunity to get a financial stake in the leagues they care about. Fractional investment into pro sports is a win-win, giving the leagues an opportunity to scale via capital while everyday fans can earn ROI as they support their favorite leagues. Which pro sports leagues are you most eager to invest in? #sports #prosports #professionalsports #athletes #wnba #finance #investments #invest #alternatives #alternativeassets #alternativeinvesting #basketball #capital #fundraising 

The demand for professional 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 is skyrocketing 🚀 Arctos Fund II has closed with over $4.1 billion in capital commitments... 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 (𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 $𝟭𝗕) 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗱: • Paris Saint-Germain • Aston Martin F1 Team • Smith Entertainment Group • Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment This represents the 𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘰𝘭 of institutional funds solely committed to investments in professional sports teams 👀 ──── 𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙: ❶ The NFL is 100% next for taking private equity money (and I see Arctos deploying capital there). ❷ I think college sports are on the horizon and offers a unique opportunity. ❸ It's interesting that some of Arctos' deployment is into holding companies run by current pro sports team owners. 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽! Read the press release here: https://lnkd.in/e9zU-6xH

Some great insights in this week’s story in Sports Business Journal around the case for institutional ownership in professional sports. Thank you to Chris Smith for taking the time to speak with David O'Connor on Arctos’ purpose-built strategy to acquire longer-term team assets and bring more than just capital to our partners. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ezSqqc2D.   #privateequity #sportsinvesting