🔊 New Multi-Club Ownership Group Emerges

📰 TOP STORY
The Friedkin Group Launches Multi-Club Ownership Group

The Friedkin Group, a privately held consortium of businesses and investments founded by Dan Friedkin, has formally entered the multi-club ownership arena with the launch of Pursuit Sports.

This new entity will oversee its portfolio of professional football clubs:

• AS Roma

• Everton FC

• AS Cannes

The move helps position The Friedkin Group among a growing cohort of ownership models that aim to centralize operations and scale performance across multiple teams.

Dave Beeston, a seasoned sports executive with prior tenures at Fenway Sports Group and Clearlake Capital, will lead Pursuit Sports.

Why Does This Matter?

Multi-club ownership (MCO) has become more prevalent in sports over the last few years.

A few popular examples include:

• Diamond Baseball Holdings

• City Football Group

• Red Bull

• Arctos

• Fenway Sports Group

• Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

• Benevolent Capital

• RedBird Capital Partners

Why is this happening?

➊ Rising Valuations: Clubs are appreciating assets in a globalizing sports economy
➋ Operational Leverage: Share tech, data, medical teams, and back-office systems
➌ Risk Mitigation: Offset performance or financial slumps across multiple clubs
➍ Talent Pipelines: Move players through an integrated system to reduce costs

However, the reality is that MCO is extremely challenging to accomplish.

Most teams lose money year over year, and the difficulties with management, roster construction, fan engagement, player transfers (particularly in Europe), and other aspects make it challenging to be successful running multiple organizations.

MCO is here to stay, but only a few groups possess the necessary capital, experience, and infrastructure to execute it effectively.

For everyone else, it could be a fast track to financial and reputational risk.

💰 MERGERS & MONEY MOVES 
Italy-Based Deltatre Expands Streaming Capabilities

• Deltatre Acquires Endeavour Streaming. Deltatre, an Italy-based provider of streaming media solutions for sports, media, and entertainment companies, announced a deal to acquire Endeavor Streaming from Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and other customary closing conditions. Endeavor was taken private earlier this year in a $25 billion deal with private-equity firm Silver Lake and is the parent company of representation giant WME Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (more here).

• GSE Worldwide Acquires InsideOut Sports & Entertainment. GSE Worldwide, a leader in sports and entertainment marketing and talent management, announced the acquisition of InsideOut Sports and Entertainment, an event production company that owns and operates global sports and entertainment events. The acquisition brings InsideOut's portfolio of events, including The Pickleball Slam, Pro Padel League, and Major League Pickleball, under the GSE umbrella. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (more here).

• PHNX Sports Partners Acquires Ventnor Ventures. PHNX Sports Partners, a Chicago-based investment and operating company focused on building and scaling companies across the sports industry, announced the acquisition of Ventnor Ventures, a boutique consulting and investment firm with a track record of supporting start-ups in youth sports, emerging media, and infrastructure. The move expands PHNX’s leadership team and adds advisory depth and operational firepower to its growing portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (more here).

• Revelyst Acquires GolfLogix. Revelyst has acquired GolfLogix, a golf course mapping company with a library of over 40,000 courses worldwide, from 8AM Golf, an integrated collection of brands. Revelyst will integrate the GolfLogix business into its platform, which recently announced a rebranding and includes Foresight Sports, Bushnell Golf, and PinSeeker. GolfLogix will maintain a presence in Scottsdale, which will become the future site of a digital studio for Revelyst Golf Technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed (more here).

• Weebora Raises €1.3M. Weebora, a marketplace dedicated to sports tourism in the world of padel, announced that it has closed its pre-seed round with a total of €1.3 million raised. Weebora has already partnered with industry players such as Premier Padel, FIP, and padel academies, Rafa Nadal Academy, Gustavo Pratto Academy, M3 Academy, Paquito Navarro Academy, in less than a year since its inception. The capital raised will be used strategically to support growth and strengthen Weebora’s position as a global reference point for padel-related travel experiences (more here).

 🤝 PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS
Fastbreak AI Announces New League Partnership

• Fastbreak.AI & National Rugby League Form Partnership. The Australian National Rugby League (NRL) has partnered with Fastbreak.AI, an AI technology and scheduling platform. Through the multi-year partnership, Fastbreak.AI’s software will manage the 17-club NRL's fixture-scheduling requirements, to "optimize operational efficiency and improve competitive balance across the league." The Fastbreak Pro Schedule software platform will be used to assist with the NRL's seasonal fixture scheduling during the tie-up (more here).

• NFL & Sony Expand Partnership. The NFL and Sony have expanded their partnership to bring new and improved headphones to coaches across the league. Sony. The headsets have been tested in extreme temperatures and the rain, and were tested using real crowd noises exceeding 100 decibels for ideal noise canceling in NFL stadiums. They will also have a custom-built microphone that isolates the coach’s voice and automatically mutes when lifted (more here).

• FC Bayern & EA SPORTS FC Form Partnership. Bayern Munich has announced a new multi-year partnership with video game developer EA Sports, which will see the club’s Allianz Arena finally appear in the flagship EA Sports FC soccer game. The deal replaces the club’s previous agreement with rival developer Konami, which saw Allianz Arena dropped from EA Sports’ soccer game franchise and included in Konami's free-to-play eFootball game (more here).

🔊 ATHLETES & OTHER NEWS
SailGP Announces $10M State-Of-The-Art Tech Hub

• SailGP Unveils New Cutting-Edge Tech Hub. SailGP, one of the world’s fastest-growing leagues, announced a new technology and innovation base in Southampton, UK, ahead of this weekend’s Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth. SailGP Technologies is a cutting-edge facility that will be the global racing league’s center for engineering, design, and high-performance boatbuilding. It’ll be home to over 100 professionals in sectors such as composites, aerodynamics, and hydraulics, and represents a $10 million investment in the future of the Rolex SailGP Championship (more here).

• Muse Capital Bets Big On Women’s Health & Sports. When Muse Capital co-founders Assia Grazioli-Venier and Rachel Springate launched their firm, they weren’t just looking for returns; they were looking to make an impact. With a strong background in business development, entertainment, and technology, the pair built a VC firm focused on women’s health and sports, as well as on founders and investors who bring fresh perspectives often ignored by Silicon Valley (more here).

• Drake Star Releases H1 2025 Sports Tech Report. Drake Star released their H1 sports tech report this past week. Some of the highlights include: 233 M&A deals announced and/or closed in the first half of this year, a record total capital raised in private financing deals $5.7 billion raised, and $32 billion+ in disclosed deal value. The first half of the year also saw further consolidation in the media space, with major platforms aiming to control and distribute premium live sports content in an increasingly competitive streaming space (more here).

• An Elite New JP Morgan Unit Is Driving Deals For Sports Teams & Stadiums. Mergers may have slowed, but one asset class continues to increase in valuation and interest: sports team franchises. Some of the largest investment banks, such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, have created dedicated sports teams to cater to this group. JPMorgan Chase has long advised on sports deals, but in 2024, the bank consolidated its sports efforts, naming Menell and Gian Piero Sammartano co-heads of a dedicated sports investment banking group (more here).

• This Local Family Office Is Helping Pro Athletes Become Entrepreneurs. Dallas/Fort Worth-based RISE Family Office is bridging the divide, turning pro athletes into business leaders. The family office, founded by CEO Michael Ledo, equips highly successful athletes to build long-term, sustainable income. Smith was RISE’s first client. The office has $250 million in assets under advisement, representing 14 athletes. RISE operates as the athlete’s CEO during their playing days and becomes a manager and advisor for them post-career (more here).

🎙️ PODCAST INTERVIEWS
The Truth Behind The Biggest M&A Deals In Sports With Mohit Pareek

This week’s guest on the Vetted Sports podcast is Mohit Pareek.

Mohit Pareek, CFA, is an award-winning investment banker with over 15 years of experience specializing in tech M&A and corporate finance advisory, with a particular focus on sports and digital media transactions.

Based in Drake Star’s Los Angeles office, he has established himself as a leading advisor in the industry, successfully guiding numerous high-profile M&A and financing deals in sports tech, gaming, esports, and broader digital media.

In this episode, we discuss:
‣ Where the most deal activity is happening in sports tech
‣ Overhyped and underhyped trends in the industry
‣ Common mistakes founders make before looking to sell

Check out the full episode here: Apple | Spotify | YouTube