SUMMARY
Multi-club ownership (MCO) in football is growing rapidly. According to CIES data in collaboration with SportBusiness, by November 2023, there were 124 entities worldwide which owned two or more football clubs.
Multi-club ownership raises several concerns for football’s governing bodies. Chief among them is integrity – that the sporting contest between two teams is genuine – but it can also have an impact on financial fair play and sustainability.
This report looks at the reasons for growth of multi-club ownership and the regulatory issues it throws up.
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CONTENTS
SECTION 1 – Foreword & Executive Summary
SECTION 2 – Market Overview
The Market & Tables of Multi-Club Groups, Organisations, and Ownership Structures, in collaboration with CIES – detailed analysis of the multi-club ownership landscape. Table of multi-club ownership groups, by the clubs, size of stake and league. Deals are broken down by type: high net worth individuals, sovereign wealth funds and investment funds. This table will break down the ownership groups and structures found globally.
SECTION 3 – Regulation
An overview of the regulatory issues surrounding MCO, the history of responses from governing bodies and recent key developments.
SECTION 4 – Case studies
- City Football Group
- Red Bull
- 777 Partners
- Pozzo Group
SECTION 5 – Outlook
A look forward to the factors which will shape investment into clubs. The main private equity groups have said little publicly about their exit strategy and this section will analyse some of the options available to them.
KEY AREAS
– What factors have led to the growth of MCO and how is the money used to drive growth for clubs and maximise returns for the investors?
– Which countries, investors and government bodies are leading the investment into club ownership, and why?
– What are the regulatory consequences and escalating problems around integrity?
– What is the exit strategy for organisations that have multiple investments?
WHY YOU NEED THIS REPORT
- Get an overview of the current market and understand why there has been a recent influx of investment.
- Understand how investments have been managed and the regulatory implications in football.
- Benchmark against competitors and important considerations when debating the pros and cons of multi-club ownership.
- Understand the deal specifics, deal complexities and management implications.
- Understand the future outlook for multi-club ownership as governing bodies look to maintain control of a rapidly evolving environment.
