The sports tech sector saw record deal-making in 2024, with $86 billion in total deal value across 1,152 deals, including 18 M&A deals over $1 billion and 17 financings over $50 million, and over $6 billion raised by new funds.
02
Public markets experienced a rebound in investor confidence, evidenced by a wave of debt refinancings (e.g., Liberty Media, Peloton, Flutter) and follow-on equity rounds (e.g., Liberty Media, Amer Sports), with Canal+ spinning off from Vivendi to list on the LSE.
03
Major acquisitions in 2024 included Silverlake's $13 billion acquisition of Endeavor, KKR's $4.75 billion acquisition of Varsity Brands, and Standard General's $4.6 billion acquisition of Bally's Fantasy, Esports & Betting.
04
Significant fundraising rounds included ŌURA's $200 million Series D, TOCA Soccer's $100 million Series F, and LOVB's $100 million round, indicating strong investment in health-tracking devices, tech-enabled sports experiences, and new sports leagues.
05
Athlete Performance was the top-performing sub-sector with a 52.03% cumulative stock price return, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 (23.31%) and other sports tech categories like Fantasy/Esports/Betting (10.36%) and Digital Media/OTT/Content (5.36%).
06
New funds like Avenue Sports Opportunities Fund raised over $445 million for sports-related investments, and other funds like Next Ventures and Skye Ventures each raised $100 million, targeting later-stage growth equity in middle-market companies.
07
Key buyers to watch in 2025 include financial buyers like RedBird, Blue Owl, and Shamrock Capital, alongside strategic buyers such as Fanatics, Lottomatica, Sony, and Hudl.
Insights
01
The sports tech sector saw record deal-making in 2024, with $86 billion in total deal value across 1,152 deals, including 18 M&A deals over $1 billion and 17 financings over $50 million, and over $6 billion raised by new funds.
02
Public markets experienced a rebound in investor confidence, evidenced by a wave of debt refinancings (e.g., Liberty Media, Peloton, Flutter) and follow-on equity rounds (e.g., Liberty Media, Amer Sports), with Canal+ spinning off from Vivendi to list on the LSE.
03
Major acquisitions in 2024 included Silverlake's $13 billion acquisition of Endeavor, KKR's $4.75 billion acquisition of Varsity Brands, and Standard General's $4.6 billion acquisition of Bally's Fantasy, Esports & Betting.
04
Significant fundraising rounds included ŌURA's $200 million Series D, TOCA Soccer's $100 million Series F, and LOVB's $100 million round, indicating strong investment in health-tracking devices, tech-enabled sports experiences, and new sports leagues.
05
Athlete Performance was the top-performing sub-sector with a 52.03% cumulative stock price return, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 (23.31%) and other sports tech categories like Fantasy/Esports/Betting (10.36%) and Digital Media/OTT/Content (5.36%).
06
New funds like Avenue Sports Opportunities Fund raised over $445 million for sports-related investments, and other funds like Next Ventures and Skye Ventures each raised $100 million, targeting later-stage growth equity in middle-market companies.
07
Key buyers to watch in 2025 include financial buyers like RedBird, Blue Owl, and Shamrock Capital, alongside strategic buyers such as Fanatics, Lottomatica, Sony, and Hudl.