On the latest episode of La Previa, hosts Asli Pelit and Boris Gartner talk to Juan Arciniegas, the managing director and founding team member at Miami-based 777 Partners, a boutique investment firm with ownnership stakes in several soccer teams.
“Our investment thesis in sports is very similar to our investments in other sectors,” Arciniegas said. “We look for long-term investments that have stable and long-term contracted cash flows.”
The firm’s first sports buy was in broadcast rights with Fanatiz, a streaming service with audiences in more than 90 countries worldwide.
Since then, 777 Partners has since built up a global, multi-club network that includes several historic soccer clubs, such as Italy’s Genoa C.F.C., Brazil’s Vasco de Gama, Belgium’s Standard Liège, France’s Red Star FC, Spain’s Sevilla FC and Australia’s Melbourne Victory F.C. Most recently, 777 acquired 64.7% stake of Hertha Berlin, a German soccer team in Bundesliga. The firm also owns the British Basketball League and the London Lions basketball team.
Through 777’s Vasco da Gama investment, Arciniegas has a seat on the finance committee for the new Brazilian soccer league, which hopes to be like the Premier League and LaLiga.
“There are two groups: Libra and Liga Forte Futebol (LFF). Libra has 14 members, most of the biggest clubs in the country; while LFF has 26 clubs, from the first and the second division,” Arciniegas said. “Each group has a different proposal for dividing the broadcast rights and investors. While they have differences, everyone, including the investors, wants one league with all 40 clubs. It is complicated, but there have been good discussions recently. In a few months we may be able to reach an agreement.”
The hosts also discuss FIFA’s 73rd Congress, which took place last week in Kigali, Rwanda, where the incumbent president, Gianni Infantino, ran unopposed and won the presidential elections. Infantino promised record revenues for his next term, ending in 2027. The hosts also broke down the new format for the 2026 World Cup that FIFA delegates approved during the Congress, expanding the tournament to 104 games over 39 days.
Finally, Pelit and Gartner talk about the latest developments regarding the Manchester United sale.
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