Sports M&A Market Update | September 2025 September saw ~15 Sports M&A rightsholder transactions, highlighted continued momentum in the sports investment landscape. Here are my key takeaways: 💰 Institutional capital continues to flow into the sports industry, with investors announcing formation or completing fundraising – including Buss Sports Capital and Avenue Sports Fund. 🏎️ Motorsport remains a magnet for investor interest across a diverse range of properties in the space, with interest levels rising in MotoGP following Liberty Media’s acquisition. 🏈 The trend of minority investments in sport remains strong – particularly in the NFL, where institutional capital continues to play an expanding role in the sport. ⚽ Women’s football continues to attract investment, with 3 deals completed in September – including Bristol City Women’s acquisition by Mercury 13, forming a new multi-club ownership group in the women’s game. 🏆 The USL is gaining momentum, securing institutional capital from BellTower Partners as it seeks to execute its strategy to rival the MLS with the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in the horizon. Exploring investment opportunities in sports? Let’s connect. Comment "Sports M&A" to receive the full list of deals tracked in September 2025 (please ensure we are connected so I can share it). #SportsBusiness #MandA #PrivateEquity #SportsInvestment #SportsIndustry

Unrivaled Sports acquires Drew Brees' Football 'N' America, bringing 24 youth flag football leagues into one national system. 🏈 FNA athletes now have direct pathways to three national championships: High School Girls Nationals, Gold Jacket Classic, and Youth Flag World Championships 🏈 The deal includes a long-term partnership with Brees to co-develop programming across Unrivaled's entire sports portfolio, not just flag football 🏈 Expansion plans focus on adding new leagues through an operator model, letting local partners run FNA-branded programs while connecting to national events "We're proud to help lead the charge in the youth space" as flag football heads to the 2028 Olympics, said Jim Reynolds, CEO of Unrivaled Flag. This consolidation play combines league operations, event production, and celebrity brand power under one roof. Full story at Youth Sports Business Report >>> #YouthSports #FlagFootball #SportsBusinessNews #YouthAthletics #UnrivaledSports https://lnkd.in/eEebZQv5

🚨 Everything you need to know in #SportsBiz today 👇 1. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says he “would love” to bring a WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) game to Macau or mainland China 2. FIA – Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is poised to stand unopposed in December’s election to continue leading motorsport’s governing body 3. DAZN secures international rights for Big Ten Conference games in a multi-year deal, also covering Big 12 and Mountain West football and basketball matchups 4. French Football Federation taps streamer Zack Nani to broadcast U21 national team games live on YouTube and Twitch for the next two seasons 5. Big Ten Conference reportedly nearing a US$2.4bn investment from a California-based pension fund, a potential landmark for US college athletics finance 6. Sportway acquires Sportall, expanding its position as a leading sports production and live streaming tech provider 7. UEFA reportedly exploring a World Cup and Euros qualifying overhaul to maintain fan interest in international soccer 8. Newcastle United Football Club and Visa announce a partnership including exclusive activations in Saudi Arabia 9. Florida Quarterback DJ Lagway signs an NIL deal with Red Bull, adding to the brand’s growing roster of college athlete ambassadors 10. National Basketball Association (NBA) and Chinese Basketball Association agree a multi-year partnership focused on player development and exchange opportunities Keep your finger on the pulse with all the major stories and news announcements by checking out The Wire – our one-stop shop and super-feed of sports business news 👉 https://lnkd.in/dJKSjMv5

SportsPro with the key sports business news items, including both men's & women's basketball leagues looking to explore more opportunities in China, as well as the long discussed first private equity involvement in intercollegiate athletics nearing the finish line

Kings League MENA x Whisper   Kings League MENA is partnering with Whisper to ensure fans of the newest league in the Kings League global ecosystem will see a world-class product on-screen.   With credits including the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, SailGP, and the Netflix series ‘Saudi Pro League, Kickoff’, Whisper brings world-renowned quality and regional expertise to Kings League MENA.   The partnership covers full production services for Kings League’s latest regional expansion.   Kings League MENA is primed to revolutionize sports entertainment in the region, bringing its unique fusion of football and digital culture to a young, connected population hungry for new experiences. The new league is launching under a joint venture with SURJ Sports Investment, a PIF company that is driving investments aimed at elevating MENA's sporting ecosystem.   The partnership with Whisper guarantees that MENA fans will experience Kings League’s game-changing, next-generation sports content produced at the highest quality.   #KingsLeague #WeAreWhisper #MakeItHappen #EntertainmentIsEverything

The 2025/26 WSL season feels like a turning point, not just for women’s football, but for how we market women’s sport.    Five years ago, campaigns centred on visibility. Now, the focus has shifted to value creation: how engagement, trust and emotional connection drive commercial return.    We’re seeing that shift play out across the Women's Super League Football:   🤝 Barclays’ long-term partnership continues to set the standard for consistency and credibility. It’s no longer just a sponsorship; it’s a case study in brand equity built through sustained commitment. 🎥 Sky Sports has refined the matchday experience with multiview, enabling fans to watch up to four matches simultaneously on one screen. Additionally, Sky Sports has included broadcast rights for the WSL players, allowing them to share match footage on their social channels for the first time.  👥 Clubs are investing in owned media to grow their fanbase, build stronger community relationships and capture audience data. Chelsea Football Club launched a YouTube channel dedicated to the women’s team, bringing fans behind the scenes at the training ground, Kingsmeadow and Stamford Bridge.    These moves show how the marketing playbook has evolved:    1️⃣ Visibility → Integration   Women’s football is now embedded in the core sports narrative, not an add-on.  2️⃣ Sponsorship → Partnership   Brands are co-creating long-term value, not buying space.  3️⃣ Metrics → Meaning   Engagement, sentiment and lifetime fan value now matter as much as reach.    The WSL isn’t just a football league; it’s a template for modern brand-building.    #WSL #WomensFootball #WomensSport #SportsMarketing #FanEngagement

The Sports Facilities Companies Companies adds West Coast venue with 190-acre Ontario Sports Empire 🔹 Opening Fall 2026 in Ontario, CA with 44 total fields across baseball, softball, soccer, football, and rugby 🔹 SFC manages 90+ venues producing nearly $1B in annual economic impact 🔹 Partnership with ASM Global will handle food, beverage, and sponsorships "This facility will set a new standard for excellence, drawing athletes and families from across the nation." — John Sparks, SFC SVP of Venue Management #YouthSports #SportsTourism #FacilityManagement #SouthernCalifornia #SportsComplex https://lnkd.in/g4KhAk7s

🚨Next-gen sports collab alert🚨 M&T Bank just launched Team M&T: a new athlete-first sponsorship platform that celebrates impact on and off the field! These trailblazing athletes are leaders, mentors, and change-makers in their communities - and PARITY | A Group 1001 Company is proud to have played a big role in bringing this vision to life. This is the future of sports partnerships: purpose-driven, people-first, and powered by storytelling (a shockingly underrated tool)! 👏Huge congrats to our friends at M&T and Crowley Webb - and welcome to the team Emily Sonnett, Noelle Lambert, Lois Cook, and Zay! #TeamM&T #SportsBiz #AthleteMarketing #WomensSports

Derby Weekend: Rivalries, Ratings, and the Reimagining of Sporting Calendars. When PREM Rugby launched "Derby Weekend" two seasons ago - which returns this weekend - it wasn't just a marketing stunt. It was a carefully planned strategic move - a deliberate attempt to package passion, history, and locality into one powerful weekend narrative. Rivalries that fans live for all season long, clustered into a single, high-intensity round designed to drive attendance, broadcast reach, and emotional connection. So why does it work? Because sport isn't only about competition - it's about 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵. Derby weekend amplifies that context. It transforms a fixture list into a cultural event. It delivers a compelling broadcast product and offers commercial partners a clear storytelling platform. Most importantly, it gives fans what they crave most across any sport: 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. This idea isn't unique to rugby. Across the world, leagues are increasingly curating their calendars to create "appointment-to-view" moments: - The NWSL's own Rivalry Weekend - The NFL's Thansgiving Games - The NBA's Christmas Day fixtures - Formula 1's Sprint Weekends - Even LALIGA's calendar subtly positions its biggest events to maximise global audiences (explaining El Clásico's regular 16:15 local time kick off) These moments aren't accidental. They are engineered. Carefully designed intersections between sport, business, and emotion that audiences from around the world can relate to. And for me it raises the intriguing question of whether a Rivalry Weekend concept could work for a major men's European football league. Imagine a weekend of LALIGA with El Clásico, El Derbi de Sevilla and El Derbi Vasco providing a crescendo of rivalry, culture, and identity. The storytelling potential would be immense. For fans, broadcasters, and sponsors alike, it could redefine how leagues structure narrative across the season. As the sport and entertainment industries evolve, the art of scheduling is becoming a discipline in its own right. It's not just about logistics - it's about emotion management. Giving the fans conssitent reasons to tune in, attend, and talk about the game(s). Derby weekend embodies that shift; packaging tradition for the modern sports 'consumer'. Competitions such as the NWSL and the PREM deserve credit for pioneering this idea - for transforming something inherently local into a nationwide celebration of sporting culture. Other competitions have the opportunity to make that celebration global. In a world of endless content, attention is the new currency. Derby weekend is proof that, sometimes, the best way to capture it is to go back to the very heart of sport: rivalry, pride and belonging. 📸 Photo credit: PREM Rugby #DerbyWeekend #PREMRugby #SportsBusiness

The Irish Sports tech revolution A new Enterprise Ireland and PitchBook report points to Ireland’s robust domestic sports tech sector, home to 93 VC-backed sports tech companies, including 40 homegrown global innovators. These companies include Orreco, Kitman Labs and Output Sports, all three of whic working with NFL teams and many other global sporting brands, including NBA, NHL, PGA Tour, F1, Olympians, Premier League and Premiership Rugby. https://lnkd.in/eqbRxUeh