News

Global Sports Tech Report 2024: Record Year for Sports Tech M&A — $68B Deal Value Across 450+ M&A Deals

2024 marked a historic year for Sports Tech M&A, with over $86B in total announced deal value across more than 1,100 M&A, private placement and public market transactions. While the broader M&A market was still recovering from a muted 2023, the sports tech sector demonstrated notable resilience and momentum — a trend that has continued into early 2025.

Download the Full 2024 Sports Tech Market Report for detailed analysis of top deals, financing activity, investor trends, and our forward-looking outlook. Key highlights from the report include:

M&A Activity Reaches New Highs

  • 2024 saw $68B in disclosed M&A value across 486 announced deals, representing a 1.7x increase in deal value over 2023.
  • Eighteen $1B+ M&A deals, including Silver Lake’s $13B take-private of Endeavor and Skydance’s $8.4B acquisition of Paramount.

Financing Activity Remained Selective, Yet Strong at the Top End

  • $4.4B was raised across 647 private placements, including 17 financings of $50M or more.
  • Major financings included Riddell ($400M), Infinite Reality ($350M), Cosm ($250M), EGYM ($200M), and Oura ($200M).
  • Notable investors included Will Ventures, Bolt Ventures, and Ryan Sports Ventures.

Continued Capital Formation for Sports and Media-Focused Funds

  • More than $6B in capital was raised in 2024 for sports and media investment strategies.
  • Arctos raised a $4.1B 2nd sports focused fund, while Shamrock raised $1.6B for its sixth fund.

Public Market Confidence Shows Early Signs of Return

  • Public companies including Liberty Media, Peloton, and Flutter executed major debt refinancings, signaling a rebound in investor confidence.

Market Outlook

  • Strong M&A activity anticipated to persist, following record momentum in 2024, with both strategic and financial buyers expected to remain highly active
  • Expected gradual increase in mid to late-stage financings, early stage rounds continue to lead the deal counts
  • Several sports tech companies could pursue IPOs in 2025/26 as market conditions improve
  • Key segment to watch: AI and predictive analytics, fan engagement and immersive tech, ticketing and venue tech

Access the Full Report for a comprehensive view of M&A deal and fundraising activity, investor movements, sector dynamics, and what’s ahead in 2025.

Inquiries

For further inquiries, please contact:

Full
Biography
Gregory Bedrosian

Managing Partner & CEO, Member of the Executive Committee

Consumer & Retail Tech

Digital Media

Digital Services

New York

Full
Biography
Eric Ward

Managing Partner

Consumer & Retail Tech

Digital Media

Software/SaaS

London

Full
Biography
Michael Metzger

Managing Partner

Digital Media

FinTech

Los Angeles

Mohit Pareek, CFA

Digital Media

FinTech

Los Angeles

Get In Touch

Please search by region and sector so we can point you to the right member of our team.