CVC Capital Partners is exploring a refinancing of its multi-league sports portfolio through the creation of a new vehicle – dubbed “SportsCo” – that could carry a valuation in excess of £9bn (€10.5bn), according to a report by the Financial Times citing a person familiar with the matter.
The move would consolidate several of CVC’s high-profile sports investments into a single capital structure, with Goldman Sachs, PJT Partners, and Raine Group reportedly mandated to advise on the transaction.
CVC, one of the most active private equity firms in global sports, has steadily expanded its footprint across a wide range of sporting disciplines. Its portfolio includes commercial rights in Six Nations Rugby, the Women’s Tennis Association, and volleyball’s global governing body. It also holds a minority stake in the Gujarat Titans IPL franchise, and has committed €3.5bn across broadcast and sponsorship rights for Spain’s La Liga and France’s Ligue 1.
While the underlying assets will remain operationally independent, CVC’s aim is to introduce strategic coordination across its holdings – sharing best practices, aligning commercial strategies, and potentially pursuing cross-platform media or sponsorship deals under the SportsCo umbrella.
The initiative comes as several of CVC’s assets recover from pandemic-era volatility. English Premiership Rugby saw three clubs collapse during Covid-19 but has since stabilised, with league executives pointing to renewed growth potential. Meanwhile, France’s Ligue 1 is restructuring following a failed broadcast rights auction, and is now planning a DTC streaming platform and governance reforms to restore value.
CVC’s experience in the sector dates back to its investment in MotoGP in the late 1990s and later Formula 1 – one of its most successful exits, sold to Liberty Media in 2016 for over $8bn.
The proposed refinancing would give CVC greater flexibility to deploy capital across the evolving global sports and media landscape, while also positioning SportsCo as a potential future platform for third-party co-investment or monetisation.
