Move over, Mbappe: SailGP's France franchise gets new investment from Ares Management
Ares Management has taken a minority stake in the France SailGP team, becoming the latest Wall Street player to invest in an up-and-coming global sports league.
While financial terms were not disclosed, the deal places Ares alongside a diverse ownership group that includes Kylian Mbappé's Coalition Capital and is led by French Olympian Quentin Delapierre. The France SailGP Team is operated by K-Challenge and backed by Accor, one of the world's largest hospitality brands. Sportsology Capital Partners also joined the team's ownership group with this transaction.
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Ares, a $428 billion alternative investment giant, is no stranger to sports. Its $3.7 billion sports fund has previously invested in the Miami Dolphins, Inter Miami CF, McLaren Racing and Atlético Madrid. The firm's bet on the high-tech, high-speed world of foiling catamarans signals growing investor confidence in SailGP's model, a centralized league shifting rapidly to private franchise ownership.
'SailGP and the France Team have achieved exciting growth in recent years, attracting dedicated fans and viewership, iconic sponsors and experienced owners,' Jim Miller, co-lead of Ares' Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy told The Athletic. He added that the league is 'at an inflection point,' referencing surging viewership and commercial interest.
'We are excited to contribute our financial and strategic support, including leveraging our deep experience in sports investing, to help access additional growth opportunities that will build on the France Team's success.'
SailGP, the professional sailing circuit founded in 2019 by Oracle's Larry Ellison and Olympic sailing champion Russell Coutts, pits national teams against each other in custom-built F50 boats capable of hitting speeds as high as 60mph and has made significant inroads with investors over the past 18 months.
Last week, Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman took ownership of SailGP's Australian team. Reynolds also holds stakes in Wrexham AFC and the Alpine F1 team. Meanwhile in May, a consortium led by Muse Capital founding partner Assia Grazioli-Venier and including actor Anne Hathaway acquired the Italy SailGP team, at a $45 million valuation.
'Now in our fifth season, we are at an incredibly exciting stage of our journey as a commercially viable global racing championship that's proving we are here to stay,' Andy Thompson, SailGP Managing Director, told The Athletic.
According to Thompson, SailGP is currently selling teams in excess of $50 million and is planning on continuing to expand in 2026.
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