A version of this article first appeared in CNBC’s Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, a weekly guide to the high-net-worth investor and consumer. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox. 2025 has been a banner year for sports mergers and acquisitions. In June, billionaire and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter bought a majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers at a record $10 billion valuation. That same month, Apollo’s Josh Harris and Blackstone’s David Blitzer picked up a new Philadelphia WNBA team for $250 million through their titular sports and entertainment company. While sports team ownership changes get most of the buzz, ultra-rich individuals and their private investment firms are taking multiple tacks to profit from the sports industry. BNY Mellon’s recent family office survey found that 33% of 282 respondents had invested in sports. BNY Mellon CIO Sinead Colton Grant told CNBC in June that family offices were increasingly investing in sports assets as an inflation hedge. Moreover, while larger family offices were more likely to have sizable equity stakes in teams, investors are also drawn to sports-related assets like merchandise and hospitality venues. “You’ve got media rights in addition to broader franchise interest. You’ve got real estate, like the broader complex around the stadium,” she said. “There are many strands that are coming together to provide that, that quasi-inflation hedge.” Investing in the picks and shovels of sports also comes with a lower barrier to entry. Betting on a strength-training app or buying a ski resort costs a fraction of what it takes to buy an equity stake in a multibillion-dollar sports team. While many family offi …
