In a powerful show of confidence in the future of SailGP, Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment Funds has acquired a minority stake in the France SailGP Team, joining a high-profile ownership group that already includes football superstar Kylian Mbappé.
This move marks Ares’ formal entry into SailGP, the world’s fastest-growing sailing league, and underlines the championship’s rising profile among elite sports properties.
Ares x SailGP: Strategic Capital Meets Global Vision
Ares Management—one of the world’s most influential alternative investment firms—brings institutional capital, operational expertise, and a successful track record in high-growth sports franchises. It now adds SailGP to a portfolio that already features:
- McLaren Racing
- Atlético de Madrid
- Inter Miami CF
SailGP Managing Director Andrew Thompson described the development as a “milestone moment,” adding:
“The investment in our French team by an organization with a stellar portfolio of first-rate sports properties underlines the strength of SailGP’s global league model and reinforces the commercial potential of our teams.”
Ares’ Strategic Rationale
Jim Miller, Co-Lead of Ares’ Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy, pointed to SailGP’s growing fanbase, rising viewership numbers, and elite-level sponsorship ecosystem as the key factors behind their decision:
“SailGP has achieved impressive growth across its teams, viewership and engagement… With the team’s expanding ecosystem of dedicated athletes, sponsors and fans, alongside Ares’ experience investing in premier global sports teams, we are eager to lend our capabilities as the team continues to build on its momentum.”
Why It Matters
The France SailGP Team is becoming a blue-chip property in global sailing, boosted by the allure of athletes like Mbappé and the strategic heft of institutional investors like Ares. This deal also demonstrates the increasing attractiveness of team ownership in emerging global leagues, especially those structured with scalable, centralized commercial rights—much like Formula One and the UFC.
Owning the Water – Why SailGP’s Franchise Model Deserves Your Attention
At 365247, we view SailGP as a next-gen global sports property with all the right ingredients:
Centralized governance with commercial potential
ESG alignment through clean energy messaging
Global calendar with city-based team appeal
Access to premium audiences and luxury sponsors
High barriers to entry—and thus, high long-term value
If you’re an investor, fund, or brand looking to:
- Expand into emerging sports,
- Build a multi-club or multi-property portfolio,
- Leverage clean energy and sustainability platforms, or
- Activate globally through elite sport—
then SailGP is your opportunity to get ahead of the curve.
Want to explore franchise acquisitions, strategic sports investments, or elite commercial activations in new-age sports like SailGP?
Schedule your introductory call here.
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IMAGE: Getty Images
