Playing for Scale: The Future of Sports Investing
18 min
Investors are finding opportunities in sports as the media rights market surges and team valuations climb, Nicole Pullen Ross, head of the Sports and Entertainment Solutions within Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management, explains on the Exchanges podcast. Read the related report here. Key Takeaways: The value of sports media rights is soaring: The global sports media market grew 41% from 2020 through 2025 and has continued climbing to an expected $67 billion in 2026. Private equity and institutional investments are accelerating: Surging media rights are the core driver of growth, lifting sports franchise valuations to historic highs. Infrastructure and real estate are key: Modern venues and surrounding entertainment districts create benefits that go beyond game day and complement technology-driven fan personalization. Women’s and college sports are attracting investors: Women’s teams that control their own arenas command higher valuations, and new player-pay rules are prompting college athletic departments to weigh new types of financing. This episode was recorded on October 27, 2026. The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action or be used as a basis for any other investment decision, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. Any forward-looking statements, case studies, computations or examples set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statemen...