The Emergence of Sports Investing

Ian Charles, the managing partner at Parkdough Sports Partners, discusses how his team has been buying minority stakes in sports franchises in North America and Europe. Initially, only one North American sports league allowed for this kind of investment, but that changed three years ago when Major League Baseball permitted it. Charles talks about studying the unique characteristics and beta factors of the North American sports market, as well as the regulatory challenges that existed in the industry. He also mentions the underestimated demand for their operational capabilities and capital, with about half of their deals involving growth capital opportunities in partnership with innovative sports owners.