Equity: The New Scoreboard
by Kyle Israel, Managing Partner Magnolia Hill Partners
At last week’s second-annual Front Office Sports Huddle in the Hamptons, more than 200 leaders from sports, business, and technology gathered to talk about the future.
The dominant theme? Ownership. More importantly, how is evolving far beyond the traditional models.
From the main stage, MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Bay FC co-owner Leslie Osborne highlighted a shift that’s been building for years: athletes, celebrities, and entrepreneurs are no longer content to simply participate in sports—they want equity. Angel City FC’s star-studded ownership group is often cited as the model, having transformed from an ambitious start-up into a women’s sports powerhouse valued at $250 million. Soccer, in particular, is attracting first-time owners thanks to expansion opportunities and more accessible entry points than the NFL, NBA, or MLB.
But for decades, these ownership opportunities—whether in teams, leagues, or sports media—were largely the exclusive playground of billionaires and institutions. The valuations, insider deal flow, and capital requirements meant most investors never had a chance to even get in the room.
At Magnolia Hill Partners, we’re changing that. Our work is focused on increasing access to these high-growth sports business opportunities so that qualified investors can participate in a space that has historically been closed off. We’re identifying and structuring investments in franchises, emerging leagues, and media properties, bridging the gap between institutional exclusivity and private investor access.
The recent ESPN–NFL deal underscores this broader trend. In that transaction, the NFL will acquire a 10% stake in ESPN—part of a growing pattern where leagues and media entities take equity positions in each other. The takeaway is clear: in today’s sports economy, income streams alone aren’t enough. Equity is the real scoreboard.
Magnolia Hill Partners is here to help more people reach that scoreboard—and own a piece of the game’s future.
