The investment is being made through Bay Collective, the firm's multi-club ownership platform dedicated to women's football. The transaction adds Sunderland AFC Women as the second club in the platform, alongside Bay FC in the US. Moreover, the deal positions Sixth Street to expand its footprint across global sports assets, building on existing partnerships with leading franchises including FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, the San Francisco Giants, and the Boston Celtics. Sunderland AFC will retain a minority stake in the women's team. The transaction underscores rising institutional confidence in the commercial trajectory of women's sport. Sixth Street co-founder and CEO Alan Waxman has previously said that 'professional women's teams to become national and global consumer brands.' In addition, the investment reflects a broader trend of capital flowing into women's football, as investors seek exposure to a segment with increasing audience engagement and commercialisation potential. Recent developments in the market, including majority stake sales in other UK clubs, highlight the accelerating pace of deal activity....

The league, founded by former Spain international Gerard Pique, is expanding internationally, including into the US market. Typical investment for each domestic launch ranges between '5m and '7m, equivalent to approximately $5.4m to $7.6m. The US expansion is expected to require more capital. The six-a-side Baller League has also attracted institutional backing. EQT Ventures led a $25m funding round in December 2024. The competition is launching in the US and has expanded into the UK, although its German format has been paused. Tom Mendoza, partner at EQT Ventures, told Reuters: 'The upcoming U.S. launch and the CBS Sports broadcast deal represents global consumer appetite for the format and a world-dominating ambition from the team that is hungry to leave an impression on the biggest sport on Earth.' Private equity participation in traditional sports assets has also surged. According to Oaklins, there were 192 private equity sports transactions in 2025, compared with 54 in 2019. The Ross-Arctos Sports Franchise Index rose 5.2% in the third quarter, bringing year-to-date gains to 16.9%....

The Indiana Hoosiers will take the field for college football's National Championship game Monday night as the darlings of the sports world. Their head coach, Curt Cignetti, perpetually scowling beneath his 1950s crew cut, is fuel for countless memes. Their Heisman Trophy'winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, baby-faced and giving 'glory to God' in his postgame interviews, is a midwestern star straight out of central casting'nevermind that he's from Miami, the hometown of his Monday-night rivals. These two men, along with a team that Mendoza has described as 'a bunch of misfits,' have led the long-hapless Hoosiers to the cusp of a national title for the first time ever. Win or lose, they're being called one of the greatest underdog stories in recent sports history. The Hoosiers are, I will concede, a great story. As a midwesterner, a graduate of a Big Ten school, and someone who has spent a lot of time in Indiana, I will be pulling for them in the championship game. Unlike their opponent, the Miami Hurricanes, Indiana has never achieved anything notable in college football'except for one unenviable title: The Hoosiers entered this season as the leader in all-time college-football losses....

Perez said the membership-owned structure will remain in place but argued that a small external stake could strengthen the club. 'If someone is willing to invest significant amounts of money for a symbolic stake, this is the greatest demonstration of Real Madrid's value,' he told members, adding that any investor must respect the club's values and contribute to its long-term growth. Real Madrid is one of only four major Spanish clubs still owned by its members. About 2,000 of those members serve as delegates responsible for electing the president, approving accounts, and voting on structural changes. The move comes as private equity firms increase their presence in European football. Earlier this month, Apollo agreed to become the majority shareholder in Atletico Madrid, joining a series of international investors drawn to stable, predictable revenue streams in elite football. Real Madrid reported '1.19bn in revenue for the 2024/2025 season, the only club globally to generate more than '1bn. Net profit rose 56% to '24.3m. Forbes values the club at $6.75bn, placing it at the top of the global rankings....