Family offices are doubling down on the global sports boom—expanding far beyond headline-grabbing team ownership into a diverse mix of assets that includes fantasy sports apps, training platforms, hospitality venues, and even pickleball courts.
According to a 2025 BNY Mellon survey, one in three family offices has made investments in the sports sector. While billionaire takeovers of marquee teams still draw public attention—such as Mark Walter’s $10 billion acquisition of a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers—many offices are turning to lower-cost, high-potential plays. These include immersive viewing experiences, tech-driven training tools, and sports-adjacent real estate.
BNY Wealth CIO Sinead Colton Grant highlighted the sector’s appeal as an inflation hedge, underpinned by the enduring value of media rights, scarce team franchises, and broader stadium-linked development projects. As she explained, “There are many strands that come together to provide that quasi-inflation hedge.”
Some offices are building entire portfolios around emerging sports. The Chaifetz Group, for instance, has heavily backed pickleball—owning the St. Louis Shock team and investing in associated infrastructure and data platforms. Others, like David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, are betting on fantasy betting firms and racket sports social clubs. Dan Gilbert’s Rock has taken a different tack, focusing on experiential assets like immersive sports-viewing venue Cosm.
This broader ecosystem investment approach—ranging from niche sports teams to app-based platforms—reflects a growing belief among ultra-wealthy investors that the sports industry offers both emotional relevance and strong financial returns. As Blitzer put it, “They’re not making any more [teams]—and they’re growing.”
