Inside #SuperReturn’s Sports Investing Summit 2025
- Romy Kraus
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Private equity is repositioning sport as an integrated asset class—where IP, fan data, media rights, and real estate form a high-yield ecosystem
At first glance, the crowd gathering at the InterContinental Berlin looked like your typical high-finance roll call: bespoke suits, rapid-fire acronyms, capital flows by the trillion. But on June 2nd, a different kind of energy pulsed through the SuperReturn International halls. The sports crowd had arrived.
And not just to spectate. The inaugural Sports Investing Summit proved one thing: sports isn’t just an emotional battleground—it’s the next serious asset class. And private equity is suiting up.
No longer a sideshow, sports is now front-row finance.
Context: Why Sports? Why Now?
Before the summit even opened, the numbers told their own story.
$60 billion: Total sports-related M&A deal volume in 2023 alone.
30% CAGR: Growth rate for sports-related private equity investments since 2020.
$211 billion: Estimated global value of the sports market by 2030 (PwC).
22 of the top 50 most valuable brands in the world are tied to sports leagues, franchises, or media platforms.
And the shift is clear: no longer are investors just buying teams—they’re buying IP ecosystems, streaming rights, athlete-founded startups, performance tech, and fan monetization platforms.Think Disney meets Blackstone, with a locker room in the middle.
From Pitches to Portfolios: What Went Down in Berlin
In a breakout session moderated by Tim Bridge, Partner at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, delegates dissected the structural gulf between U.S. and European models.
U.S. leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB): centralized, franchise-based, monetized at league level
European clubs (football, cycling, rugby): member-owned, legacy-rich, often financially fragile
“You don’t just own a team. You own a brand, a data business, a rights engine. But only if you manage it right.”
Women's Sports: Not a Cause—an Undervalued Asset
Nicki Boyd, Managing Partner at Sphera Partners, broke down why women’s sports aren’t just equitable—they’re exponential:
“From a business perspective, you focus on where the most value is. Creating a dedicated group within an existing ownership structure enables the required focus on the women’s side... It’s like running an established corporation versus a startup.”
With viewership surging (UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 hit 365 million global views), women’s leagues are attracting new sponsors, cross-border investors, and digital-first broadcasters.
The opportunity? Build smart from scratch—without bloated legacy structures.
LP Appetite, Realistic Returns
George Cadbury, Head of Sports & Partnerships – Europe at Republic Digital, addressed the elephant in the stadium:
“There’s enthusiasm—but LPs want clearer exits. They want liquidity cycles mapped—not just fandom metrics.”
Translation: sports is sexy, but spreadsheets still win.
That’s why private equity is increasingly building multi-asset strategies—pairing team investments with adjacent plays in ticketing tech, fan data, athlete wellness, and content production. A more diversified risk profile, wrapped in the cultural credibility of sport.
Fan Finance & Athlete-Led Funds
One of the buzziest concepts of the day came from Jonathan Ludwig, CEO of FANtium, who explained:
“Tokenized financing can enable fans to back athletes, clubs, and teams in entirely new ways.”
We're entering the age of fanvestors: not just buying merch, but fractionalizing ownership in athletes’ future earnings or club revenue. Athletes, meanwhile, are becoming allocators—Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, Tom Brady, Megan Rapinoe—all now managing capital and founding funds.
So What’s the Exit Strategy?
Deals in the space range widely:
Silver Lake → $500M+ stake in City Football Group
CVC Capital Partners → $2B+ across rugby, volleyball, and LaLiga
RedBird Capital → majority of AC Milan, investments in YES Network and XFL
Arctos Sports Partners → LP stakes in NBA, MLB, and NHL franchises
Most expect consolidation, streaming-rights battles, and tech rollups in the next 3–5 years. Real estate plays (stadiums as multi-use venues) and AI-driven performance optimization are also heating up.
Final Whistle
At SuperReturn 2025, the message was unmistakable: Sports is no longer where investors go to play—it’s where they go to compete.
What was once a billionaire’s sandbox is now a structured investment thesis. What used to be about passion is now about platforms. And the scoreboard? It’s measured in data, culture, returns—and real power.
