Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
Arctos Sports Partners has quietly built up its baseball portfolio with stakes in some of the most valuable MLB teams.
The private equity firm reportedly holds stakes in five teams, in addition to a minority stake in Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group.
Recent reporting has also revealed its stakes in the following teams:
- Los Angeles Dodgers, valued at $3.6 billion last year, per Forbes (2nd in MLB)
- Chicago Cubs, $3.4 billion (4th)
- San Francisco Giants, $3.2 billion (5th)
- Houston Astros, $1.9 billion (12th)
- San Diego Padres, $1.5 billion (17th)
The Red Sox have the league’s third-highest valuation at $3.5 billion.
MLB has allowed private equity investments in teams since 2019. Teams can sell up to 30% of their equity, and individual funds can own up to 15% of a team.
This month, the league inked a pair of media deals with Apple and NBCUniversal worth a combined $115 million. The league also brings in $1.8 billion annually from deals with Fox ($755 million), ESPN ($550 million), and TBS ($535 million).
Arctos’ Investments
Arctos holds stakes in teams across a wide range of sports including the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild, MLS club Real Salt Lake, and several European soccer teams, as well as in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Arctos announced in October that it raised over $2.1 billion for its flagship fund.
