Sports leagues and team owners are increasingly partnering with institutional investors to secure liquidity, growth capital, and operational expertise, according to a report by Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management (PWM).
Institutional capital is entering the sector through multiple routes. These include private equity funds joining consortiums for controlling stakes, acquiring minority holdings as limited partners, and submitting direct bids to secure outright control.
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The move comes alongside rising team values. Between 2020 and 2025, average valuations across major sports leagues increased at a compound annual growth rate of 14%, supported by “lucrative media contracts and higher global revenue potential”.
Overall, the global sports market is projected to expand by 44% from 2025 to reach $602bn by 2030 as it transitions into an institutionalised global business.
Ownership models are also evolving. Capital is shifting away from single-franchise ownership toward multi-club platforms, in which an investor or group owns interests in multiple teams across different leagues, sports, or countries to scale operations.
Franchise proprietors are also using strategic financing solutions to support expansion, utilise leverage, and optimise financing structures, though the report notes these options can involve constraints.
Infrastructure surrounding stadiums has developed into a central avenue for revenue diversification.
To fund these developments, some owners use municipal financing to lower direct expenses and align projects with broader urban redevelopment plans.
Others rely on self-financing, which can include credit arrangements to provide liquidity, the report added.
In parallel, the women’s sports sector is transitioning from an early-stage ecosystem into professionalised, institutional businesses.
The report projects the global women’s sports market will reach $3bn by the end of 2026. “This growth is expected to create a new wave of potential investment opportunities and address the historical underinvestment in physical infrastructure in women’s sports,” the report stated.
