Key Takeaways
- Sector: Leisure.
- Geography: France.
Analysis
Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment funds (“Ares”) has acquired a minority stake in the France SailGP Team, joining a consortium that includes international football star Kylian Mbappé.
SailGP Managing Director Andrew Thompson described the move as an “exciting milestone,” highlighting the growing commercial appeal of the league and the value of Ares’s capital and strategic expertise in expanding the Rolex SailGP Championship.
Jim Miller, Co-Lead of Ares’s strategy, said they were “thrilled to enter the league,” emphasizing the team’s ecosystem of dedicated athletes, sponsors, and fans as a solid base for future growth.
The France SailGP investment adds to Ares’s portfolio, which already includes stakes in Inter Miami CF, McLaren Racing, and Atlético de Madrid.
Recent SailGP developments include the sale of the Red Bull Italy SailGP Team to an Italian investor group and the acquisition of Australia’s BONDS Flying Roos by Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds.
Alongside Ares and Mbappé’s Coalition Capital, Sportsology Capital Partners has also joined the France SailGP ownership group. The team is led by French Olympian Quentin Delapierre, operates under K-Challenge, and is supported by Accor, a global hospitality leader.
In the ongoing 2025 SailGP season, France currently ranks sixth after a podium finish in New York.