Winning Strategies: 5 Moves for Private Equity to Unlock Value in Sports

Jeff Shaffer, Managing Director | Kathleen Voss, Senior Director | Michael Chang, Managing Director | Peter Roland, Senior Director | Michael Murnan, Senior Director

Service / Industry: Private Equity Performance Improvement, Private Equity Services

The sports industry is entering a new phase of institutional investment.

Dedicated capital vehicles, new ways to monetize fans, and shifting rights structures are pulling in private equity (PE) interest and investments at a pace that hasn’t been seen before. Investors must understand and address varying revenue models, increased governance rules, seasonality, and the realities of brand integrity and community relations.

Five Strategic Moves for Investors

Align capital with rights cycles to manage volatility and entry/exit decisions
Take the Long view with patient, flexible capital and strategic rightsholder partnerships
Monetize the ecosystem, sponsorships, and partnerships
Harness data, technology, and off-season execution
Manage public and reputational risk proactively

How A&M Can Help

Our teams partner with investors and management to:

Design and execute capital structures that align with rights cycles and seasonality
Drive operational improvement programs that safeguard brand integrity and fan engagement
Unlock value through commercial excellence, sponsorship monetization, and ecosystem expansion
Support complex transactions with valuation, due diligence, and tax structuring expertise

With a track record of delivering results across high-profile sports and entertainment assets, A&M is uniquely positioned to help investors capitalize on opportunity while managing risk.

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Authors

Jeff Shaffer

Managing Director

Jeff Shaffer is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Private Equity Services in Los Angeles. He works in the Operations Group and specializes in pre- and post-acquisition operations assessment and integration. Mr. Shaffer’s primary areas of concentration are post-merger integration, carve-out planning & execution, due diligence, IT strategy, systems integration, and interim management.

Kathleen Voss

Senior Director

Michael Chang

Managing Director

Michael Chang is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Private Equity Performance Improvement in San Francisco. He is part of A&M’s Software, Technology & Services industry group and specializes in strategy and deal advisory. His primary areas of concentration are mergers and acquisitions advisory, commercial and operational due diligence, carve-outs, integration planning, customer product profitability and S&OP.

Peter Roland

Senior Director

Michael Murnan

Senior Director