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Athletes and Tech-Driven Innovation: Jeter and Manning's Big Bet on Golf’s Future Derek Jeter and Eli Manning teaming up with Steve Cohen to invest in a TGL golf team isn’t just a smart business move—it’s a glimpse into the future of sports. TGL is revolutionizing golf by merging cutting-edge technology with traditional gameplay, creating immersive, team-based competitions that appeal to a new generation of fans. For athletes like Jeter and Manning, this isn’t just an investment in a sport; it’s an investment in innovation. Golf has long been seen as a niche sport, but TGL’s high-tech format has the potential to bring in younger, tech-savvy audiences while modernizing how the game is experienced. By combining virtual elements with live events, TGL is reshaping golf into a fast-paced, fan-friendly spectacle. What makes this even more impactful is the influence athletes like Jeter and Manning bring. Their involvement doesn’t just add credibility—it broadens the cultural relevance of golf, introducing the sport to audiences who may never have considered it before. This move underscores a larger trend: athletes leveraging their platforms to not only grow their portfolios but also to transform how sports are played, viewed, and experienced. With TGL, they’re betting on the intersection of technology and tradition—and it’s a bet that could redefine golf for years to come. What are your thoughts on how technology is reshaping traditional sports? Let’s discuss below. https://lnkd.in/e_cFDdJp

Haslam Sports Group, owners of the Cleveland Browns, have stepped up efforts to move the #NFL franchise to a new stadium in Brook Park, Ohio, by appointing Lincoln Property Company as the development partner for the venture’s associated 176-acre mixed-use entertainment district. https://lnkd.in/eZDdxNv6

Best-Performing Sports Team Stocks • Over the past three years, only three publicly-traded sports franchises have outperformed the S&P 500 (Formula 1, FC Porto, and Celtic Football Club) • Meanwhile, only three other franchises generated a positive stock return during that same three year period (Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., Sporting Clube de Portugal, and TKO) • Across the board, nearly all of these companies (those with both positive and negative stock returns) have shown revenue growth over the past three years, which has limited correlation to stock performance (recovery from COVID slump likely mitigating some of the revenue growth impact on stock performance) • The drivers of sports franchise stock returns are situation specific, from profitable vs. unprofitable business models to increasing vs. decreasing profitability to financial consistency vs. inconsistency, but is something that we will dive into in a subsequent post.

Wilson Sporting Goods Co. has announced its newest release of the industry’s most innovative racket, Clash v3. The Clash v3 is made for players looking to easily elevate their game through comfortable power and impact, with a striking, refreshed design. The Clash v3 offers a unique patented blend of flexibility and stability providing players worldwide with more on-court confidence. “Innovation is at the core of everything we do at Wilson, which is why we continue to push the boundaries of racket technology to offer players at all levels the best racket for their game,” said Jason Collins, Global General Manager of Wilson Racquet Sports. “Clash is our most widely adopted franchise, thanks to technology that complements a variety of play styles looking to comfortably achieve power and impact.” Since first releasing Clash in 2019, Wilson has made significant upgrades to match the modern players’ ever-evolving game. The innovative updates for Clash v3 include: https://lnkd.in/ePquz4Gn #News

📢 #Pickleball Boom: Investors Rally Behind Fast-Growing Racket Sport! 🏓 The pickleball craze is sweeping not only the USA, and investors are taking notice! America’s fastest-growing sport is attracting significant investments in 2024, with Utah-based indoor pickleball franchise The Picklr leading the charge. 🎉 Backed by former NFL star Drew Brees, #ThePicklr recently secured $9 million in Series B funding, pushing its valuation to $59 million. This exciting growth is fueled by the sale of over 300 franchises in the past year and 98 locations under contract. By early next year, The Picklr aims to be in over 32 states, making it the largest provider of indoor pickleball clubs globally. #Crunch Fitness partnered with #Break The Love for pickleball classes  🏆 CEO Jorge Barragan highlights the community and leadership driving The Picklr’s success, with over 1,080 pro-style indoor courts expected by the end of 2025. The brand’s popularity is evident, averaging 500-600 founder memberships for new clubs. 🌍 Expansion is on the horizon, with master franchise agreements set for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the EU. The pickleball wave is truly going global! 🏅 The PPA Tour will feature The Picklr, and you can find the latest pickleball gear from Pickleball Central at their locations. Stack Athletics, another sister company, will offer performance apparel at The Picklr venues. 🏙️ Other major players like CityPickle, Pickleball Kingdom, Ace Pickleball Club, and Dill Dinkers are also expanding rapidly, reflecting the sport’s universal appeal. Notably, Life Time CEO Bahram Akradi’s investment in pickleball facilities has spurred a 51% increase in players on its courts. 💡 With over 48 million Americans playing pickleball in the past year, it’s no wonder investors and franchisees are flocking to this inclusive and low-impact sport. The pickleball boom is here to stay! 🔗 Read more about this exciting trend and the major investments fueling pickleball's growth! #Pickleball #ThePicklr #DrewBrees #Investing #SportsGrowth #FranchiseBoom #PickleballCommunity #IndoorPickleball #GlobalExpansion #SportsNews #FitnessFun https://lnkd.in/dBJ-Tkrj

While in most cases the Olympics itself is a money-losing proposition for host cities, national and individual pride are winners of the games as every four years, the Olympics re-ignites the fire and passion for sport worldwide. Private Equity firms, however, have been able to showcase examples of profitable investment opportunities to sit alongside the passion. For Alvine Capital, this is a theme to keep track of, and we will be sharing our next thought piece on this topic later this month. #sports #sportinvesting #olympics #privateequity #alternativeinvesting In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about the industry, we encourage you to read the article below:

A new chapter is emerging in the sports franchise playbook because of generational shifts and technological innovation. Read our latest article about creating a winning experience for everyone: https://lnkd.in/ggwDPi7C #FanLoyalty #Digital

Exciting news for the pickleball world! Family offices are recognizing the explosive growth of pickleball and are increasing their investments in the sport. From new venues to professional teams, the opportunities are expanding quickly. Check out how these investors are fueling the future of this fast-growing game! Family offices expand investments in fast-growing pickleball https://lnkd.in/eT9rdX_6 #Pickleball #Investments #FamilyOffices #SportsBusiness

‘Private equity in sports makes sense…as long as the structure limits the influence’ Matt Higgins is sport and business personified: 🏈 Former SVP Business Operations at New York Jets  🐬 Former Vice Chairman at Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium 🏟 Co-Founder Relevent Sports Group 💸 Early investor in The Drone Racing League ...alongside co-founding RSE Ventures, being a Shark on Shark Tank ABC AND becoming a Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author for Burn The Boats by Matt Higgins (highly recommend 😉) This is top level insight on managing sports assets and capitalising on value in the wider industry: ➡ Great sport is about great storytelling... 'If I see a team that is under optimised, there is usually a deficiency around storytelling'. Use the tools at your disposal to create the best identities and tell the best stories. ➡ Money matters, but so does control: the role of private equity... Sport in 2024 is big money. But it can never just be that. There is nothing wrong with opening the door to external financing, but you must manage the influence that comes with that cash. ➡ The business of running an National Football League (NFL) franchise... Sponsorship, hospitality, tickets: the importance of brand alignment vs extracting maximum value, selling out your stadium, and why suites are the hardest sell. ➡ The beauty of danger in open leagues... Closed leagues may create additional value for the assets that live there, but the jeopardy of open leagues is what makes them special. We're very excited to welcome Matt Higgins to Business of Sport 🔥 (Links in comments👇) #NFL #MiamiDolphins #NewYorkJets #ReleventSports #BurntheBoats #sportsindustry #sportsmedia

TMRW Sports, a tech-focused sports venture supported by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, has successfully concluded its Series A funding round, with Dynasty Equity and Connect Ventures as co-leads. As part of the investment, Dynasty co-founder and chief executive K. Don Cornwell joins TMRW's board of directors as an observer. The funding round also saw participation from institutional investors, sports team owners, athletes, and business leaders. Among the athlete investors are National Basketball Association (NBA) star Kevin Durant, Major League Baseball (MLB) ace Mike Trout, and England cricketer Ollie Pope. Atlanta Falcons owner and TGL supporter Arthur Blank also contributed to this round, alongside notable figures such as Derek Jeter and former Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn. This investment is set to fuel TMRW's expansion into new formats, leagues, territories, and media properties. The first project for TMRW Sports is the TGL golf competition, which is set to start next year following a delay caused by damage to its intended venue. The six teams are co-owned by athletes such as Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michelle Wie West, and Alex Morgan. Additionally, Serena Williams, Steve Cohen, and Fenway Sports Group (FSG) hold stakes in various teams. The latest funding round values TMRW at approximately $500m. Chief executive and co-founder Mike McCarley said that TMRW was “in discussions with other governing bodies” and a move into women’s golf is reportedly among the options being considered. McCarley also said: "We continue to forge partnerships with the best-in-class, which includes Dynasty Equity and Connect Ventures leading this investment round and a diverse spectrum of expertise and strategic perspectives across our full roster of investors." "The combination of these relationships and resources will help serve as a springboard for further development and expansion, including the continued focus and growth of TGL presented by SoFi and fuelling future projects, including new partnerships with major global sports leagues." #investment #funding #golf #womensgolf #RoryMcIlroy #TigerWoods #dynastyequity #connectventures #seriesa #TMRW #nba #mlb #cricket #finance #financialinvestment #sportsnews #news #golfnews