sports & entertainment
US sports, media-focused GP backs Australia's PMY Group
Bluestone Equity Partners, a US private equity firm specialising in sports and media, has made an investment of undisclosed size in Australia’s PMY Group, an IT provider for stadiums and arenas.
Asia-based football investment platform backs England's Charlton Athletic
ACA Football Partners (ACAFP), an investment platform established by professionals from Singapore-based ACA Investments, is part of a consortium that has acquired English football club Charlton Athletic.
BPEA EQT, Nord Anglia buy sports education brand
BPEA EQT and Nord Anglia Education, one of its portfolio companies, have agreed to acquire IMG Academy – originally known as Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – for an enterprise valuation of USD 1.25bn.
Deal focus: K-wave media savvy explores new markets
Korean audience interaction technology provider Bemyfriends hopes a sizeable Series A round led by Cleveland Avenue, a lifestyle-focused VC firm in the US, will jumpstart a global expansion
Korea audience engagement platform Bemyfriends gets $29m
Korea’s Bemyfriends, an audience engagement platform for brands and creators, has raised USD 29m in Series A funding, with the latest tranche provided by US-based VC firm Cleveland Avenue.
US investor secures control option for Melbourne football club
Shareholders in Australian football club Melbourne Victory have approved a proposal that allows US-based investor 777 Partners to take a majority stake.
Asian basketball league secures Series C funding
East Asia Super League (EASL), a basketball league featuring teams from Greater China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, has raised USD 40m as part of a yet-to-close Series C funding round.
Vistara, QIC back Australian sports-tech player Vald
US-based growth-stage technology investor Vistara Growth has joined Queensland Investment Corporation in an AUD 36m (USD 25m) round for Vald, an Australian start-up that supplies performance-tracking technology to a host of professional sports teams.
China's CMC trims stake in City Football Group
China-based CMC Capital has exited the bulk of its remaining stake in City Football Group (CFG), a series of football clubs built around the Manchester City brand, with CMC founder Ruigang Li vacating his seat on the company’s board.
Sport investment: China fading
Once a white-hot investment theme in China, and for Chinese investors looking overseas, sport has slipped into obscurity amid concerns about regulation and monetisation
Sport investment: Into the value chain
Investors are increasingly drawn to the structural nuances, sticky customer bases, and long tail of ancillary opportunities that exist around professional sports. Asia’s role is small but growing
Silver Lake wins approval for New Zealand rugby deal
Silver Lake has won approval for a NZD 200m (USD 134m) investment in the commercial arm of New Zealand rugby, reflecting a recent upswing in global private equity involvement in sport in Asia.