Credit: Malcolm Lemmons, Vetted Sports
The rise of family offices in sports has become one of the defining investment stories of the last five years — and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. New data from Goldman Sachs reveals that family offices are not just exploring sports as a passion-driven side investment but increasingly treating it as a serious global asset class.
What the numbers say?
Goldman surveyed 245 family office decision-makers and found:
- 50% are already invested in sports or plan to be.
- 71% of those prioritize ownership stakes in major men’s teams — the prestige assets of the sector.
But beyond franchise equity, family offices are diversifying their attention toward specific verticals where they see long-term growth.
Top targets for sports investment, according to Goldman Sachs:
- Streaming tech – 31%
- Venues & real estate – 31%
- Gaming – 26%
- Events & tournaments – 25%
- Emerging sports – 25%
- Ticketing – 22%
- Esports – 20%
- Women’s established leagues – 19%
- Women’s emerging leagues – 16%
- Men’s minor leagues – 16%
- Apparel – 16%
- Betting – 15%
Three signals from the data
- Women’s sports remain undervalued – With both established and emerging leagues ranking low, there’s enormous untapped upside for those who understand the trajectory.
- Betting looks overlooked – Despite being last on the list, legalization and data-driven integrations suggest betting could deliver massive returns over time.
- Venues & real estate are the sleeper play – Stadiums and mixed-use projects generate diversified revenue streams, benefit from tax incentives, and can appreciate faster than traditional sports assets.
Why family offices are accelerating now?
- High returns & valuations: Top-tier franchises are appreciating faster than equities or real estate, outpacing other asset classes.
- Diversification: Sports is increasingly seen as a non-correlated hedge in volatile global markets.
- Infrastructure & real estate upside: Ownership often includes stadium land, surrounding property, and long-term media rights, which can provide stability and growth.
The bigger picture!
This isn’t just passive capital at work. Many family offices are moving aggressively to compete with private equity firms and sovereign funds for stakes in clubs, leagues, and emerging sports properties.
Sports is no longer just a passion play for wealthy families. It’s becoming a sophisticated, global investment strategy — blending emotion with economics, legacy with long-term returns.
And from streaming platforms to stadium naming rights, the next decade could be defined by how family offices reshape the sports investment landscape.
At 365247, we help investors, family offices, and ownership groups decode where the next wave of value creation in sports lies. From emerging leagues to real estate-linked plays, our consulting insights map the white spaces that others overlook.
The question isn’t whether sports is investable — it’s where in sports you should be placing your capital next. Let’s talk
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