Arctos Mulls Acquiring Stake in $4.6B Paris Saint-Germain

Arctos Sports Partners could add to its extensive team ownership portfolio with an investment in France’s most lucrative soccer club.

The private equity firm is showing early-stage interest in a 5%-15% stake in Paris Saint-Germain, according to Bloomberg. Qatar Sports Investments acquired a 70% stake in PSG for about $70 million in 2011, and the French club reportedly now values itself at $4.6 billion.

PSG’s $714 million in revenue last year ranked as the fifth-highest among global soccer teams, according to a Deloitte report. The club, however, could lose superstar Lionel Messi, who is considering leaving PSG for a record deal to play in Saudi Arabia. 

Arctos has stakes in more than 20 sports teams, including the NBA’s Warriors, Jazz, and Kings, MLB’s Dodgers, Red Sox, Cubs, Giants, Astros, and Padres, and the NHL’s Lightning and Wild. 

The firm’s soccer portfolio already includes stakes in Italian club Atalanta, the Premier League’s Liverpool, MLS’s Portland Timbers, and the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. 

France’s top soccer league, Ligue 1, announced a new advertising campaign on Thursday focused on growing the league’s popularity among U.S. fans. PSG stars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will be featured in the campaign, which is being produced by Chicago-based marketing firm rEvolution.