Private equity and venture capital firms are taking the lead in investing in the global sports services arena in 2023, owing to the sector’s diverse revenue streams and expanding audiences.
A total of $2.29 billion worth of deals, or over 76% of the aggregate value across the sector, were backed by private equity and venture capital in the year to Oct. 25, according to new S&P Global Market Intelligence data and analysis.
Key highlights from the analysis include:
- Overall sports services deal value and volume with and without private equity involvement are expanding after a slowdown in 2020.
- Investments in the sector totaled $14.10 billion across 219 transactions in 2022, the highest value and deal count since 2018, according to Market Intelligence data.
- Private equity backed six of the 10 largest sports services transactions in the year to Oct. 25.
- Nord Anglia Education Inc. and BPEA EQT’s Baring Private Equity Asia Fund VIII completed the largest transaction overall, acquiring sports education company IMG Academy LLC for $1.25 billion.
