Owners Box: Club Member Newsletter - October 4th
Lebron joins others in buying major pickleball team, Florentino Perez brings back talks of the Super League, and Robert Sarver could sell his stake in the Suns for over 2.5B
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News & Highlights:
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez hints at Super League revival
Portland Timbers and Thorns minority stake sold to Arctos last year
CFG set to add Brazil’s Esporte Clube Bahia to soccer portfolio
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Recent Sports M&A News and Developments
Everton Talks Reportedly Heat Up on $447M Sale - Front Office Sports - October 3rd, 2022
Another Premier League team could find itself under American ownership.
Minnesota-based investor Maciek Kaminski is in advanced talks to purchase Everton, per the Financial Times. The talks gained steam over the past week, but a deal is not yet certain. The sale of the club, currently owned by Farhad Moshiri, is complicated by the tumbling British Pound, which has fallen around 20% compared to the U.S. dollar in the last 12 months.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez hints at Super League revival - Sports Pro Media - October 3rd, 2022
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez believes soccer is “sick” and claimed resurrecting the European Super League (ESL) project would be one way to restore its health.
The Spanish giants were one of a dozen clubs in April last year who signed up to a proposed breakaway league, which collapsed following backlash from supporters once the idea came into the public domain.
Portland Timbers and Thorns minority stake sold to Arctos last year - Sports Pro Media - September 30th, 2022
Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson last year sold a 15 per cent stake in the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Portland Thorns to private equity firm Arctos Sports Partners, it has emerged.
The deal, first reported by Sportico, was completed at an enterprise value of US$600 million, with Arctos reported to have gained ‘a more traditional minority discount on its piece’. Other investors were also said to be involved in the deal, although their identities have not been reported.
LeBron James buys Major League Pickleball team - Sports Pro Media - September 29th, 2022
National Basketball Association (NBA) star LeBron James is part of a consortium buying a team in Major League Pickleball (MLP).
The new ownership group consists of James and business partner Maverick Carter’s family office LRMR Ventures, investment firm SC Holdings, as well as NBA champions Draymond Green and Kevin Love. Paul Rivera, who is the chief marketing officer at James’ SpringHill Company, is also on board alongside Relevent Sports Group co-owner and chief executive Daniel Sillman.
CFG set to add Brazil’s Esporte Clube Bahia to soccer portfolio - Sports Pro Media - September 27th, 2022
City Football Group (CFG), the owner of English soccer champions Manchester City, has agreed to acquire Brazilian second-tier club Esporte Clube Bahia.
The deal would see CFG add a 12th club to its expanding portfolio which, in addition to City, includes Major Soccer’s (MLS) New York City FC, the A-League’s Melbourne City, and Spanish top-flight side Girona.
CFG’s most recent investment was a majority stake in Italian second-tier outfit Palermo, paying a reported UK£11.2 million (US$12.1 million) for its 80 per cent shareholding in July.
Report: DC United valuation hits US$800m in minority stake sale - Sports Pro Media - September 27th, 2022
DC United is close to selling a minority stake of up to five per cent in a deal valuing the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise at just over US$800 million, according to Sportico.
The figure includes DC United’s estimated US$150 million debt and is believed to be the highest ever valuation for an MLS team selling a minority stake. The identities of the potential new investors have not been reported.
Phoenix Suns Sale Could Top $2.5B - Front Office Sports - September 23rd, 2022
The Phoenix Suns are likely to fetch at least $2.5 billion, according to sports bankers contacted by Forbes.
Suns managing partner and largest stakeholder Robert Sarver said he would sell the team following an NBA-commissioned report that detailed repeated acts of racism and misogyny. Sarver also plans to sell the Phoenix Mercury.
Two of the richest people in the world, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, have been mentioned as potential buyers, and former Disney CEO Bob Iger was reportedly interested in buying the team last year.
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This newsletter is confidential and may not be distributed, transmitted or otherwise communicated to others, in whole or in part, without the express consent of FanClub Sports Capital Inc.
This newsletter does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, product or service, including interests in the fund.
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