Key Takeaways
- Sector: Leisure, Media.
- Geography: United States.
Analysis
Apollo Global Management has launched Apollo Sports Capital (ASC), a new platform focused on providing tailored capital solutions across the global sports and live-events ecosystem.
Al Tylis has been named CEO of ASC, joined by Apollo Partners Rob Givone and Lee Solomon as co-portfolio managers, and Sam Porter as Chief Strategy Officer. Together, they bring decades of combined expertise across sports investing, operations, and credit structuring.
ASC will invest primarily in credit and hybrid structures within the sports sector, spanning leagues, franchises, media rights, stadiums, events, and infrastructure. The platform is structured as a permanent capital vehicle, enabling it to offer long-duration, flexible financing without the short-term pressures of traditional private equity.
John Zito, Co-President of Apollo Asset Management, emphasized that the initiative is designed to create value not just for investors but also for teams, fans, and communities worldwide. He described ASC as a move to build the “preeminent investment platform in sports.”
Tylis, a veteran investor with experience in Club Necaxa, La Equidad, and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, noted that ASC’s approach is “more than just equity.” He underscored the platform’s goal of offering patient capital, broad networks, and non-traditional financing solutions to clubs and leagues at all levels.
ASC extends Apollo’s already significant presence in sports, where it has deployed an estimated USD 17 billion across various transactions involving stadiums, league operations, and sports media ventures.
Recent examples include structured financing to Nottingham Forest FC and a loan to Sports Invest Holdings, underlining Apollo’s interest in leveraging secured credit instruments tied to team assets, stadium rights, and player agencies.
ASC also reportedly explored a minority stake in Atlético Madrid, linked to the club’s major infrastructure expansion, showing the firm’s growing interest in long-term, physical asset-driven opportunities in European football.
This move aligns Apollo with a growing cohort of major investment firms doubling down on sports:
- CVC Capital Partners has invested billions into rugby (Six Nations), LaLiga, and French football (LFP) through revenue-share models and long-term licensing deals.
- Arctos Sports Partners has taken minority stakes in franchises across the NBA, NHL, and MLB, positioning itself as a capital partner to league owners via institutional funding.
- Ares Management recently expanded its sports portfolio by backing ownership groups in U.S. Major League Soccer and lending against media rights and sponsorship income.
- Sixth Street holds investments in Real Madrid’s stadium redevelopment and co-owns San Antonio Spurs (NBA), further validating institutional interest in sports-linked real assets.
By adopting a permanent capital strategy, Apollo Sports Capital is uniquely positioned to fund multi-year developments, capital restructurings, and transitional ownership changes in a space where short-term investors often fall short.
As sports continues to professionalize and globalize, funds like ASC are reshaping the landscape—bringing sophisticated capital tools to a sector once dominated by traditional ownership and sponsorship revenue alone.
Apollo, headquartered in New York City, manages approximately USD 840 billion in assets as of June 2025, and now adds a dedicated vertical to engage with one of the world’s fastest-growing asset classes—professional sports.