How Sports Deals Became 'Sexy' at Leading Law Firms

The sports business is booming. You’ve probably seen the headlines. An NFL team sold for $6 billion, and private equity is pouring money into almost anything that involves a ball or a stick.

For law firms, that means opportunity. More Big Law firms view the business of sports as a target for the types of megadeals that drive revenue. Naturally, there's a lot more competition coming for a practice area that was once dominated by only a handful of repeat players.

On this episode of On The Merits, Bloomberg Law's Roy Strom spoke with Sidley Austin's Irwin Raij and Eric Geffner. The veteran dealmakers have guided transactions involving the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, the NFL's Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, and women's pro soccer franchise the Chicago Red Stars.

Raij and Geffner discussed why sports deals work is a "very sexy practice right now" that's getting the attention from more major firms. They also talked about the growth of investments in women's sports and new opportunities for private equity in the National Football League.

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