Ares Management, investors of Chelsea FC, have acquired a share in Mbappe's SailGP team.
Hey there! Let's chat about Ares Management diving into the world of sailing. Remember when Kylian Mbappe jumped into the French SailGP team pool? Well, now Ares, a heavyweight in sports investments, has joined the swim too!
With a portion of ownership securing their spot amongst the team's existing owners, this US firm's move makes the SailGP team the first one to go entirely private thanks to celebrity investors like Anne Hathaway (Italy) and Ryan Reynolds (Australia) paving the way.
Ares has quite the impressive portfolio. They've poured $500m into Chelsea (soccer), own stakes in Atletico Madrid, San Diego Padres (baseball), David Beckham's Inter Miami, McLaren Formula 1 team, and Miami Dolphins (football). They've even played a part in John Textor's acquisition of French football club Lyon, through his Eagle Football vehicle.
Jim Miller, co-lead of Ares Sports, Media, and Entertainment, couldn't be happier with their new venture. SailGP's impressive growth in teams, viewership, and engagement caught their eye. He went on to say that they're stoked to join the French SailGP Team and help the crew build on their success.
Now, let's dive into this SailGP expansion. With Ares jumping aboard, it's clear that private equity firms are hopping on the sailing bandwagon. SailGP's remarkable appeal has earned them high-profile brands like Emirates, Red Bull, Rolex, Accor (for Team France), and more.
SailGP hit the shores in 2019, thanks to Oracle founder Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts. Currently, 11 teams representing spots like Great Britain, Spain, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States are vying for supremacy.
Valuations for these sailing titans range from a cool $45 million to a whopping $125 million. There's even talk about reviving Caribbean and Bermudian teams. Thompson, the SailGP managing director, suggests that Ares' investment confirms the strength of SailGP's global league model and highlights the commercial potential of the sailing Titans. 🌌🚢🚀🤑💪 #SailGP #privateequity #sportsinvestments #yachtlife
Ares Management, known for its investments in various sports, has expanded its portfolio by joining the French SailGP team, making the team the first one to go entirely private with celebrity investors paving the way. This move comes after Ares' previous investments in soccer teams like Chelsea, stakes in Atletico Madrid, baseball teams like the San Diego Padres, David Beckham's Inter Miami, Formula 1 team McLaren, and football teams like the Miami Dolphins.
The influx of private equity firms into sailing, with Ares being the latest, indicates a growing interest in SailGP as high-profile brands like Emirates, Red Bull, Rolex, and Accor have already shown their support.
The valuations for these sailing titans range from $45 million to $125 million, suggesting a promising commercial potential for the sport, as confirmed by Ares' investment according to SailGP managing director Thompson.
