Owners Club Newsletter - July 18th
Diamond Sports Dump D-Backs, MLS Commissioner Don Garber talks Saudi Arabia Soccer, Liberty Media Shareholders Approve Braves Split and More Money Coming to Major League Cricket
Owners Club is FanClub Sports Capital’s newsletter and investment community. Every other week we breakdown the recent news in sports investment, M&A, and technology
Join the FanClub Community
Sign-up for the largest community of pro sports owners. Get direct access to deals across European football, major & minor North American leagues, autosport, tennis, rugby, cricket, and emerging leagues from across the world
FanClub Quick Links
1. How do I Start a Syndicate on FanClub? Apply to Start a Syndicate on FanClub
2. Invest on FanClub FAQ. Apply to Invest on FanClub
3. Follow us on social media
News & Highlights:
Diamond Sports Dumps D-Backs TV Deal With No Eleventh-Hour Reprieve
MLS commissioner Don Garber ‘not threatened’ by Saudi Arabia’s soccer play
More Money Is Coming to New American Cricket League, Anurag Jain Says
Arctos to Test Sports Investment Model With Private Markets Fund
Raine Group Raises US$760 Million for New Sports and Media Fund
TLDR? Follow our Instagram & Twitter Pages at @fanclubsports & @fanclubsportshq
Don’t have time for a morning newsletter? No worries, FanClub has you covered. FanClub condenses the Owner’s Box Newsletter into a series of short Instagram & Twitter posts so you can catch all the highlights, even if you miss the game.
Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Recent Sports M&A News and Developments
Diamond Sports Dumps D-Backs TV Deal With No Eleventh-Hour Reprieve - Sportico - July 18th, 2023
Just days after conceding the end of its association with the Phoenix Suns, Diamond Sports Group is officially walking away from its rights deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While a bankruptcy court judge must first sign off on Diamond’s rejection of its Diamondbacks contract (a formality that is expected to be carried out Tuesday around noon EDT), the break will effectively deplete Bally Sports Arizona’s live sports slate.
MLS commissioner Don Garber ‘not threatened’ by Saudi Arabia’s soccer play - SportsPro Media - July 17th 2023
The huge outlays to prize talent away from the likes of the Premier League and LaLiga are part of a wider strategy to make the Saudi Pro League an attractive destination for elite players and establish the competition as credible alternative to Europe’s elite top tiers.
It could also pose a threat to other leagues, including the likes of MLS. However, Garber said he was not concerned about the emergence of Saudi Arabia in the global soccer picture.
Liberty Media Will Remain Part of Braves’ Post-Split Future - Front Office Sports - July 17th, 2023
Liberty Media shareholders have approved the Atlanta Braves’ plans to become an independent, publicly traded company — but the company will still be a core part of the Braves’ reality for the foreseeable future.
Although the shareholders’ assent to the deal followed a speedy 10-minute virtual special meeting on Monday, the transaction to make the Braves a standalone operation is more complex.
More Money Is Coming to New American Cricket League, Anurag Jain Says - Bloomberg - July 17th, 2023
A group of investors, including Microsoft Corp. CEO Sayta Nadella, is determined to bring the world’s second-most popular sport to the US. After a sold-out opening night, Major League Cricket wants to keep building on the early success.
The league kicked off its inaugural season last Thursday with the Texas Super Kings beating the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Dallas.
Arctos to Test Sports Investment Model With Private Markets Fund - Sportico - July 11th, 2023
Arctos Sports Partners has pioneered the model of successfully investing in limited partnerships of sports franchises. Now the private equity firm plans to roll out the model that’s worked so well in sports into another sector: other private equity firms.
“We are launching a new product, Arctos Keystone, to provide growth capital and liquidity solutions to the owners of premier private equity platforms. It’s like private equity for private equity firms,” said Arctos co-founder Ian Charles in a phone call. “It’s the same exact playbook that we’ve been executing in sports. We’re just adding a new product specifically to help the best private equity firms in the world grow their business.”
Women’s sport investment, where is the money coming from? - SportsPro Media - July 10th, 2023
A recent report carried out by The Sports Consultancy and accountancy and business advisory firm BDO concluded that women’s sport properties could be a better long-term investment than their male equivalents. The theory is that there is more scope for audiences to grow, plenty of time for media rights revenue to increase, and lots of space in the calendar to try new formats.
Raine Group Raises US$760m for New Sports and Media Fund - SportsPro Media- July 7th
Global investment firm the Raine Group has raised US$760 million to invest in growth-stage companies with a focus on sports, media, entertainment and gaming.
The closing of the Raine Partners IV fund, the newest in the firm’s flagship growth equity strategy, secured backing from Raine’s ‘strong base of limited partners’, including public pension plans, sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors, as well as select strategic corporates and family offices.
DISCLAIMER
Investment Advisory Services, investment opportunities, and marketplace are offered through FanClub Sports Management LLC, a registered investment adviser.
The information contained herein is provided for informational and discussion purposes only and is not intended to be a recommendation for any investment, service, product, or other advice of any kind, and shall not constitute or imply an offer of any kind. Any investment opportunities and/or products or services shown here will only be completed pursuant to formal offering materials, a letter of intent, and/or any other agreements as determined by FanClub containing full details regarding risks, minimum investment, fees, and expenses of such transaction. The terms of any product, service, or particular investment opportunity, including size, costs, and other characteristics, are set forth in the applicable constituent documents for such product, service or particular investment opportunity and may differ materially from those presented in this presentation. Such terms are subject to change without notice.
Quotes included in these materials related to FanClub's services should not be construed in any way as an endorsement of FanClub's advice, analysis, or other service rendered to its clients.
Stay tuned for the latest FanClub deals and sports updates!
Thanks for reading Owners Club: Sports M&A News!