Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 6
Sports Industry Acquisitions to Rise as Investors Target Teams, NIL and Youth Spending
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 6

Sports Industry Acquisitions to Rise as Investors Target Teams, NIL and Youth Spending

3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jul 6

Summary

  • William Blair expects sports-industry acquisitions to increase as investors use multiple strategies to tap a fast-growing market, investment-banking head Matthew Zimmer said Monday.
  • Minority stakes in many professional teams are coming up for sale, creating a pipeline of potential deals as existing investors look to exit.
  • College athletics is adding another avenue for transactions through name, image and likeness agreements, while parents are spending more on youth sports.
  • Those trends point to broader dealmaking across professional, college and youth sports rather than a single niche of the industry.

Insights

As private equity fuels soaring team valuations, is the sports industry heading for an inevitable and painful market correction?
With private equity now buying youth leagues, is your child's weekend game becoming Wall Street's next big investment?
With colleges now paying athletes directly, how will this multi-billion dollar shift permanently reshape American university sports?