🔊 Boston Celtics Sold At Record-Breaking Price 😳

📰 TOP STORY
Bill Chisholm Purchases Celtics For $6.1B

• This week it was reported that Bill Chisholm, co-founder of STG Partners, a private equity firm focused on software and tech businesses, has agreed to purchase the Boston Celtics from the Grousbeck family for a valuation of $6.1B. It is the largest sale for a sports franchise in North America. Sixth Street, another private equity firm, has committed more than $1B to the deal. The group also includes Rob Hale, a current Celtics investor, and Bruce A. Beal Jr., president of Related Companies. Wyc Grousbeck will remain the team’s governor through the 2027-28 season. Wyc also stated that his family wanted to sell the Celtics in two stages—51% now, and the rest in 2028, with the provision he stays in control until the second transaction closes. The current Celtics owners bought the NBA team in 2002 for $360M (17x return).

Are the Boston Celtics worth the price?

In July 2023, Josh Harris set the record for the highest price for any US sports franchise by purchasing the Washington Commanders at $6B. Less than two years later, a new record has been set. This sale was closely tracked in the NBA and other leagues as a barometer for sports valuations overall. The Celtics are among the NBA’s most historic and successful franchises, but they are a tenant in their arena and only own a small piece of their local media partner. Furthermore, one of the most pressing issues is the massive tax bill that will come into effect as soon as this summer. The Celtics’ front office built an incredible team last summer, which led them to a championship, but it came at a cost. They signed Jayson Tatum at a five-year, $314M deal followed by Derrek White's four-year, $126M extension. Kristaps Porzingis also signed a two-year, $60M extension. Even Sam Hauser, who’s developed massively in Boston, received $45M over four years. And these deals came after Jaylen Brown signed his five-year $285M contract in 2023. This means Boston has the two highest-paid stars in the league on the same team. In total, 11 Celtics players are under contract next season for a combined $225M. This means the Celtics face a projected tax bill of $280M ($45M over the projected luxury tax line) and will supposedly pay $513M in combined salary and tax penalties for the 2025-26 season alone which now the new ownership group will be responsible for.

A breakdown of Boston’s current cap commitments for the 2025-26 season:

• Jayson Tatum: $54.1M

• Jaylen Brown: $53.1M

• Jrue Holiday: $32.4M

• Kristaps Porzingis: $30.7M

• Derrick White: $28.1M

• Sam Hauser: $10M

• Payton Pritchard: $7.2M

• Baylor Scheierman: $2.6M

• Xavier Tillman: $2.5M

• Neemias Queta: $2.3M

• Jordan Walsh: $2.2M (non-guaranteed)

• First-round draft pick: $2.5M

• Open roster spot x 2: ????

• Free agents: Al Horford, Luke Kornet, Torrey Craig

Total: $225M in payroll committed to 11 players
Full roster payroll: $233M (14 players) Once the roster is filled out with their own picks and vet min signings
Luxury tax projected repeater bill: $280M
Total projected payroll and tax bill: $513M

Bill Chisholm now owns the most successful franchise in league history. Nonetheless, it comes with some big decisions to make. Does he foot the bill and keep this highly talented roster together? Or does he shred the team to free up some cap space? It’s tough no matter how you look at it. But I’m sure he didn’t get to where he is now by taking the easy road anyway. Would love to hear your thoughts on whether you think the Celtics were worth the price.

💰 MERGERS & MONEY MOVES 
Playtomic Raises $70M At A $273M Valuation

• Playtomic Raises $70M. Spanish startup Playtomic, which rents racket sports courts through a mobile app, reached a $273M valuation after raising a $70M funding round this past week. The round was led by Match Invest, a joint venture between Playtomic CEO Felix Ruiz and Luxembourg Finance House (owned by Dutch real estate investor Frank Zweegers). Of the $70M, $20M is being contributed by Match Invest, and $11M is through a debt facility from Santander. Other investors include Bonsai and Arconas, GP Bullhound, and FJ Labs (more here).

• World Sevens Football Secures $100M. World Sevens Football, a new seven-a-side women’s soccer series has been announced, reportedly with a committed investment of $100M over five years according to Tom Garry of the Guardian. The series is co-funded by NWSL’s NJ/NY Gotham FC minority owner Jennifer Mackesy and entrepreneur Justin Fishkin. The series will also consist of invitational tournaments, with the first event set to take place in Portugal from May 21st-23rd at Estádio António Coimbra da Mota (more here).

• Good Good Golf Raises $45M. Good Good Golf, a golf, media, and lifestyle brand that operates a popular YouTube channel, has raised $45M in new funding. Creator Sports Capital, co-founded by former YouTube executive Benjamin Grubbs, is leading the funding round, which includes Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and 50 other investors. Good Good Golf will use the money to build a management team, invest in live events, and expand its lineup of golf products (more here).

• San Francisco Giants Sells 10% Stake To Private Equity Firm Sixth Street. Sixth Street, a global private equity firm has purchased about 10% of the San Francisco Giants with the team aiming to use the influx of capital to help pay for upgrades to the franchise’s 25-year-old stadium and other facilities, as well as the Mission Rock real estate development adjacent to the ballpark. Sixth Street also has vested interests in other major sports franchises including Bay FC, San Antonio Spurs, Real Madrid, Boston Celtics, and FC Barcelona (more here).

• Cordillera Investment Partners Invests $10M Into Professional Triathletes Organization. Cordillera Investment Partners, an investment firm that exclusively invests in niche, non-correlated assets, announced a $10M investment in the Professional Triathletes Organisation, a global sports body co-owned by its professional athletes. The capital will be used to support PTO’s growth initiatives. Cordillera, which manages over $1.6B, sees opportunities in emerging leagues and formats, women’s sports, sports-related professional services businesses, and pro teams in lower tiers of competition (more here).

• Zenniz Raises €2M. Zenniz, a Helsinki-based company specializing in smart tennis technology, has raised €2M in a funding round led by Butterfly Ventures and Superhero Capital. Other investors include former ATP player Jarkko Nieminen and Janne Jormalainen, former European Business Angels Network president. The funding will support Zenniz’s expansion into the US market and key European tennis regions (more here).

• Sportradar Acquires IMG Arena. Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment agency is selling off its IMG Arena betting and sports data business after entering an acquisition agreement with sports data and technology company Sportradar. Through the deal, Endeavor will pay Sportradar $125M to take over IMG Arena’s global portfolio of betting rights, with the agency shelling out a further $100M to certain sports rightsholders. Overall Endeavor will spend close to $225M to rid itself of the business, before being taken private by Silver Lake (more here).

 🤝 PARTNERSHIPS
Prominent California High School Signs Multi-Media Deal With Sports Tech Company

• Mater Dei High School & Playfly Sports Form Partnership. Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California announced the first-ever multimedia rights agreement between an individual high school and a third-party partner. The Monarchs signed a 10-year partnership with Playfly Sports, a leading sports marketing and media company, to enhance sponsorship opportunities, media exposure, and fan engagement while continuing to set the mark for high school athletic excellence across the country (more here).

• Fastbreak.AI & BCHL Form Partnership. Fastbreak.AI, the leading AI sports scheduling company has signed a multi-year software agreement with the BCHL. This collaboration will bring the cutting-edge capabilities of Fastbreak Pro, Fastbreak’s AI-powered sports scheduling platform, to ensure balanced and optimized schedules for BCHL league and conference play (more here).

• M80 & IMG Academy Form Partnership. M80, an esports organization, announced a partnership with notable sports academy IMG to help launch a new esports camp at the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, Florida, starting in May. The three-week program promises “an elite esports training experience” and hopes to develop the next generation of competitive gamers in North America (more here).

• Camb.AI & LFP Media Form Partnership. LFP Media has chosen CAMB.AI as its official global language solution in a multi-year deal. As the governing body overseeing Ligue 1 McDonald's and Ligue 2 BKT, LFP represents 36 professional clubs across France. By integrating CAMB.AI's AI translation, voice emulation, and dubbing technologies, Ligue 1 McDonald’s fans worldwide can access match broadcasts, commentary, interviews, and exclusive content in a language of their choice (more here).

🔊 ATHLETES & OTHER NEWS
USL Brings European System To The US

• Promotion-Relegation Coming to American Professional Soccer. The USL is the first US professional soccer league to implement a promotion-relegation system similar to that used in European football. The USL announced that a supermajority of club owners voted to implement this change, marking a groundbreaking decision that will reshape the future of professional soccer in the US (more here).

• Sports & Gambling Investors Expect Substantial M&A Ahead. Investors speaking last week at Next.io's Next Summit, a gambling conference in New York, predicted M&A will increase in the sector over the next two years. They said crypto, sweepstakes, pick 'em fantasy, collectibles, and the growing industry in Latin America are hot areas that could drive M&A in the coming months (more here).

• Abelson Sports First To Offer Goalscorer NWSL Betting Markets. Abelson Sports has become the first provider to offer comprehensive goalscorer pricing coverage for the NWSL. Through this initiative, Abelson Sports’ operator partners will gain access to detailed goalscorer markets, integrating the supplier’s latest ODDS data solutions into their platforms. With interest in women’s soccer continuing to grow across US sportsbooks, this expansion ensures operators can provide a more diverse and engaging betting experience throughout the entire NWSL season (more here).

• Sports VC Firm Gets Approval To Launch First Fund In Abu Dhabi. Yashaa Global Capital, a venture capital fund focused on sports, has received Financial Services Permission from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market. This approval allows the firm to launch its first fund in Abu Dhabi. Previously known as Da One Global Ventures, the firm rebranded to Yashaa Global Capital and aims to raise $75M for its inaugural fund (more here).

• The Most Innovative Companies In Sports For 2025. AI has dominated headlines and advancements in nearly every industry globally. Sports is no exception. As data grows more dynamic and accessible, so do its applications, and the effect is vast. Fast Company debuted its 10 Most Innovative Companies in sports for 2025 (more here).

• What Are Sports Investors Bullish And Bearish On In 2025? Here’s a breakdown of what bankers, investors, and advisors watching out for and which areas of the sports business industry they’re buying, selling, and holding in 2025. Forbes has (more here).