Strong investor demand drives fund close exceeding $2.5B target, creating the largest pool of institutional capital dedicated exclusively to the asset class of professional sports

Arctos, a private investment firm that provides bespoke growth and liquidity solutions, differentiated thought partnership and value creation services to sports franchises (Arctos Sports) and alternative asset managers (Arctos Keystone), today announced the final close of Arctos Sports Partners Fund II (“Fund II”), the latest iteration of its flagship sports fund.

Fund II, along with co-investment and parallel affiliated vehicles, closed with over $4.1 billion in capital commitments from a diverse group of global investors, including some of the world’s leading pension funds, retirement systems, endowments, insurance companies, family offices and global wealth platforms, bringing Arctos’ aggregate sports-related Assets Under Management to approximately $7 billion. Fund II and its predecessor fund, Arctos Sports Partners Fund I, represent the world’s largest aggregation of institutional capital dedicated exclusively to professional sports franchise investments.

Evercore Private Funds Group acted as the exclusive global placement agent for the Fund II raise and Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to Arctos.

“Arctos was purpose-built to bring more than just capital to our partner teams, leagues and businesses,” said Ian Charles, co-founder and co-managing partner of Arctos. “By using data science-backed insights paired with deep operational and domain expertise, we are proud to be a trusted partner for major sports franchises and limited partners seeking access to this robust and durable industry. We are all very grateful for the support of our investors and the leagues, owners and operators who have chosen to partner with us.”

Approximately 30% of Fund II’s capital has been deployed across several investments, including Smith Entertainment Group, the holding company that owns the Utah Jazz; Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, the owner of New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers; Paris Saint-Germain F.C.; and Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team. Arctos is currently the only institutional investor approved to invest in multiple teams by MLB, the NBA, the NHL, MLS, global motor sports organizations and European soccer federations.

“In just over three years, we have seen the demand for sports as an asset class grow tremendously,” said Doc O’Connor, co-founder and co-managing partner of Arctos. “Arctos is uniquely positioned as a growth and thought partner to innovate, unlock opportunity and transform the markets we participate in. With the success of Fund II, our firm is well-positioned at the forefront of the professional sports ownership market.”

About Arctos

Arctos is a private investment firm that provides bespoke growth and liquidity solutions, differentiated thought partnership, and value creation advice to sports franchises (Arctos Sports) and alternative asset managers, their funds, and portfolio companies (Arctos Keystone). Founded in 2019, Arctos serves as a catalyst for innovation and business transformation for its portfolio companies and its markets. The firm’s proprietary approach is anchored by its unique quantitative research and data science platform, Arctos Insights. Arctos has a team of more than 50 investment and operational professionals with investment and operating expertise across industries, geographies, and economic cycles. The firm is headquartered in Dallas, with office locations in New York, and London. For more information, visit www.arctospartners.com or Arctos’ company page on LinkedIn.

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