JPMorgan Launches $400B Sports Investment Banking Group in 2025
JPMorgan Chase introduces a dedicated sports investment banking division to serve global sports clients, capitalizing on the booming $400 billion sports franchise market.
Highlights
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. has formed a specialized sports investment banking team to provide advisory services to sports-related clients worldwide.
- Combined valuations of sports franchises in the U.S. and Europe exceed $400 billion, marking sports as a rapidly growing asset class.
- The new division complements JPMorgan’s existing sports financing activities, including stadium project advisories.
In 2024, JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) unveiled its new Sports Investment Banking Coverage group, appointing Eric Menell and Gian Piero Sammartano to lead this initiative aimed at delivering tailored financial and advisory solutions to sports industry clients globally.
Fred Turpin, Global Head of Media and Communications for Investment Banking, highlighted in an internal memo shared with Investopedia that the group will integrate JPMorgan’s expertise across Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Private Banking to offer comprehensive support to current and prospective sports clients worldwide.
The memo emphasized that top sports franchises in the U.S. and Europe now represent a combined market value exceeding $400 billion, attracting increasing attention from institutional investors seeking exposure to this dynamic sector.
Historically, JPMorgan and other financial institutions advised on sports mergers and acquisitions (M&A) without dedicated sports teams, often reallocating bankers from other divisions. Despite a general downturn in M&A activity in 2023, the sports sector remained robust with over $25 billion in deals completed.
Eric Menell, formerly co-head of North American Media Investment Banking, and Gian Piero Sammartano, previously co-head for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) investment banking, will spearhead the new sports advisory group.
Goldman Sachs also launched a similar sports franchise unit last year, underscoring investment banks’ strategic focus on the escalating valuations within the sports industry.
JPMorgan’s client portfolio includes high-profile names such as Liberty Media (owners of Formula One Racing), World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Juventus FC, and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who recently acquired a minority stake in Manchester United.
This new sports group builds upon JPMorgan’s existing sports financing operations, which have supported numerous stadium financing projects across the U.S.
Turpin expressed enthusiasm about expanding the firm’s global sports practice, leveraging the collective expertise of JPMorgan’s teams to capitalize on growth opportunities in this vibrant sector.
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