Jeffrey Chan

From the NFL to venture capital—and now to the Yale School of Management stage. We’re excited to have Chris Wilkerson joining us as moderator of the Sports & Media Investing panel. Chris is a 2x Founder, former NFL Long Snapper, and Managing Partner at 51Ventures. The 51Ventures portfolio is a snapshot of where sports investing is headed: 📌 Pison: A neuro‑signal and biosensing platform pushing the frontier of human‑performance data 📌 Axo Longevity: Applying biomarkers and analytics to optimize long‑term health and performance 📌 WePlayed Sports: An AI‑powered platform transforming raw game film into actionable data and fan engagement through machine learning and micro‑moment recognition Chris will lead the conversation on what’s next for sports investing and why data, performance, and technology are defining the future of sports. https://lnkd.in/e_q4xUTn #SportsInvesting #SportsTech #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #YaleSOM #PEVC

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NEW: Ares is debuting a new media and entertainment fund targeting individual investors, bringing the typically exclusive world of sports investing to the retail segment. The alternative asset manager has begun talking to investors about the strategy, which will make debt and equity investments in sports leagues, teams and sports-related businesses, as well as media and entertainment companies. Ares has said it wants to manage $100 billion from wealthy individual globally by 2028, which could pull in $600 million in management fees. W/Silas Brown

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LLR Partners announced the final closing of LLR Equity Partners VII, L.P. (“LLR 7”) at $2.45 billion. LLR 7 continues our 25-year history of investing in and partnering with lower middle market growth companies. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecJkvMDB

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Digital sports firm Fanatics entered the prediction markets space on Wednesday, its first step into a fast-growing corner of finance that has exploded in popularity in recent years. Once relegated to the fringe, prediction markets are now being treated by investors and analysts as an accurate gauge of market expectations. Critics, however, argue that they resemble gambling, and have pushed for tighter oversight. The influx of new entrants is also intensifying competition in the sector, making it harder for platforms to stand out, especially compared to well-funded rivals such as Kalshi and Polymarket. https://lnkd.in/gK25zyR7

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There has never been a better time to be a creator and investors are finally catching on🚀🌟 Last week I attended Live Nation Entertainment first ever Summer Social: Where Culture Meets Capital in partnership with Capitalize VC, Breakr, Popstar Ventures, and Bump. The conversation had me buzzing with the thought of where the #creatoreconomy is headed. As someone who’s spent time in both finance and content creation, I walked away with a few key insights that highlight just how much the landscape is evolving: 💡 Startups may be the best brand partners. Industry giants and legacy brands are flashy, but early-stage companies are often more nimble, scrappy, and open to creative structures. If you're a creator who truly converts, startups want you—and may be more willing to co-build than simply "rent your reach." 💡 Creators should be thinking like investors. Brand partnerships don't always have to be transactional. Sometimes equity is the smarter play. If you deeply believe in a startup's mission and you're lending your influence to help it grow, asking for equity isn't unreasonable. It’s strategic. 💡 Clear ROI matters on both sides. Just like an investor would expect terms, outcomes, and accountability in a deal, creators and brands need alignment on deliverables and performance. It's time to bring structure to these partnerships without losing authenticity. We're entering an era where creators aren’t just promoting culture — they have the potential to catapult startups into new dimensions through brand reach and notoriety. And as I double down on both my creator and investor journey heading into my final year at Columbia Business School, I’m excited to see how things continue to progress. Let’s talk if you’re building at this intersection 💭 #venturecapital #startups #digitalinfluence #mediaxcapital #blackwomeninvestors #womeninVC #contentmonetization #equitydeals

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Guggenheim Securities: "While 2026 is expected to be an investment year at MotoGP™, we see a high probability that Liberty Media will successfully execute the Formula 1 playbook across Moto's assets over the next few years. The formula is pretty much the same - 1) build global brand value, 2) expand fan reach, 3) own the fan platform, and 4) unlock and broaden commercial opportunities. MotoGP fan monetization lags F1 across all key revenue streams - media rights by 5x, race promotion by 6x, and 10x in sponsorship - meaning there is a long runway to monetize. MotoGP's fixed team payment structure is also a higher operating leverage model relative to F1. We forecast MotoGP OIBDA growth accelerating to 14% by 2028. ... FWONK/A shares are down modestly over the last 13 months (vs. the S&P 500 +17%) - the concerns we hear most are 1) post-transaction cooling-off period, 2) lack of catalysts following lackluster U.S. media rights renewal, 3) near-term MotoGP investment, and 4) concern over structure/magnitude of operating leverage under the new Concorde Agreement. At current levels (20x our 2026 estimates, 17.5x 2027E), we see F1/MotoGP as increasingly appealing with room to surprise on the upside over the next two years in several areas (Concorde leverage, F1 sponsorship, MotoGP execution, 2027 international media renewals, cost discipline, and LVGP optimization). Raising our FWONK/A PT to $124/$115 from $120/$110."

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Big Ten closes in on private equity agreement infuse league schools with more than $2 billion new entity Big Ten Enterprises, which would hold all leaguewide media rights and sponsorship contracts Big Ten Enterprises would be tasked with not just handling the league's valuable media rights (the current seven-year $7 billion package runs through 2030) but trying to maximize sponsorship and advertising deals leaguewide such as jersey patches or on-field logos

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Stepped into the beautifully imagined world of COLLINS on Monday—where bold design meets big thinking—and left with some unforgettable wisdom from founder Brian Collins: 🚫 Branding ≠ just a logo 🗣 Voice > the logo 🔮 Don’t future-proof—build the future 💡 Make the future so irresistible, it becomes inevitable 🎯 Sell the benefit, not the function 🧠 Creativity = the antidote to habitual thinking A big thanks to Brian for the masterclass on bold ideas and bold brands and to Professor Fran Gormley for making it all possible. https://lnkd.in/gnw3U7dS

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An Innovative Baseball Analytics Related Startup is Gaining Traction with the Help of Ex-MLB Players A recent article in the Sports Business Journal detailed Infinite Sky AI's partnership with former pitchers Rich Hill and Mark Melancon, as well as former all-star catcher Jason Castro, all as members of the company's Sports Advisory Board. The company's 'signature first product' is called Command Tracker, a software that uses video to track pitch trajectory and initial catcher setup in order to accurately assess a pitcher's true command. The software doesn't require any specialized hardware, allowing the company to market it all the way down to the high school level. The company plans to make future products assessing pitch metrics and player biomechanics. Personally, I find this product fascinating. While assessing a pitcher's control can be done through stats such as zone rate and walk rate, assessing true command has always proved difficult. This product is the best attempt I've seen made yet, and its ease of use and accessibility make it widely usable, even at the youth and amateur level. I could easily see teams implement this system to aid them in player development and identification, adding yet another advantage to a league they already dominate. This product also makes me curious about the future of video-based data collection, and what its advantages and limits are. Where do you think player development is headed next? #MLB #Pitcher #Analytics Darin W. White https://lnkd.in/exB_XxuU

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Dream Sports CEO and Columbia Business School alum Harsh Jain '14BUS shared powerful insights in his Graduate Class Day address and a candid Q&A. From leading India's largest sports tech company to reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey, Jain emphasized the importance of solving real problems with tenacity: “If you try something that doesn't work out, then keep experimenting and pivoting till it does.” 👉 Read the Q&A with Harsh Jain to learn what advice he has for the next generation of engineers: https://lnkd.in/giskNqMp ⚒️ #SEAStheWorld2025 #Engineering4Humanity

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If you're wondering how AI might effect the sports world, here's your first look. Teamworks has hit a $1 billion valuation after raising $235 million Series F funding round led by Dragoneer Investment Group. The money from that round will be put toward implementing and creating AI-powered solutions. As a reminder to show the breadth of Teamworks, all NFL teams are subscribers, 90% of MLB clubs and the Premier League and 80+% of the NBA, MLS and NHL. That's in large part because of Teamworks offerings which include personnel, performance, coaching and operations. Sports valuations of all shapes and sizes, continue to grow. #Sports | #SportsBiz | #LinkedInSports https://lnkd.in/eteppCXd

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Report from Global Banking & Finance Review Omnicom beats Q4 revenue on big Interpublic merger, up 27.9% q/q, and $5B buyback. Growth driven by media/ads, new brands, and AI-enabled competing landscape. Key takeaway: integration at scale matters for sust… https://t.co/AjtDJGbzYb via Twitter https://lnkd.in/gmmEZESe

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Excited to share one of nvp capital's most recent investments: Hetal Retail. At nvp capital, we believe some of the most exciting opportunities for AI are in industries still run on pen-and-paper workflows and outdated systems. Retail intelligence is one of them — a $20B+ problem space that hasn’t meaningfully changed in decades. The Hetal team — David Roger, Michael Rostowsky, Bobby Sharma and Mike Walters — knows this challenge inside and out. At Felix Gray, they pioneered a category, scaled into nationwide retail, and lived the pain brands face trying to manage shelves. Now they’re building the solution: using AI and computer vision to turn everyday shopping trips into real-time, actionable shelf insights. Learn more about the problem they’re solving, how they’re tackling it, and why we’re so excited to back them at my latest blog for nvp capital below https://lnkd.in/e6esm8f5

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Paramount Global's finance head Naveen Chopra joined Roblox to take on a similar role at the video gaming company. The move comes as Paramount is seeking to close its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, which is pending approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Chopra joined Paramount as CFO in 2020, when the company was still called ViacomCBS. He succeeds Michael Guthrie at Roblox, which is experiencing increased engagement on its platform from a vast Gen Z user base. Story for Reuters

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The prediction market battle lines have somewhat blurred heading into 2026. FanDuel, DraftKings Inc. and Fanatics launched their own platforms. DK and FD even left the American Gaming Association over that issue. Yet deep concerns remain among many in the traditional gambling space. In addition, states concerned about lost tax revenue continue their fight in courtrooms across the country. This week, one analyst hinted the concerns about prediction markets cannibalizing the sports betting space may be overblown. Meanwhile, concerns about "insider trading" have added another front to this fight. Stay tuned, it's going to another wild year in this space.

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The Football Economy | Episode 21 is here! 🎙️ This week I sat down with Brett M. Johnson, CEO of Benevolent Capital and Chairman of Rhode Island FC, to explore his journey as an entrepreneur and investor shaping the future of football and sports in America. Brett’s portfolio spans across continents and industries, from leading the investment group behind Ipswich Town FC in England, to founding Phoenix Rising Football Club, 2023 USL Cup Champions, and spearheading the creation of Rhode Island FC with a new $140m stadium project. Most recently, he closed on a $40m+ investment and joined the board of Surf Sports, the largest youth soccer platform in the U.S., with over 100,000 boys and girls across their clubs. 🟢 Some of the things we covered: 🟡 How his entrepreneurial family background shaped his investment philosophy 🟡 Football as a global cultural connector and community builder 🟡 Why strategic partnerships are at the heart of Benevolent Capital’s model 🟡 Building Rhode Island FC into a community hub for sport and entertainment 🟡 Making football more accessible through affordable ticketing and youth pathways 🟡 The role of promotion/relegation in boosting competitiveness in U.S. soccer If you’re interested in sports investment, community-driven club models, and the future of football in America, this episode is one you don’t want to miss. See the YouTube & Spotify links in the comment section ⬇️ #Entrepreneurship #Investing #PrivateEquity #BusinessLeadership #SportsBusiness #FootballInvestment #Soccer #USL #RhodeIslandFC

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LVMH just reported their 2025 numbers, and it looks like the luxury sector is finally finding its footing after a rough couple of years. The big takeaway isn't just the slight beat in sales, but where that growth is coming from. While the core fashion and leather business is still in a normalization phase (down 3% this quarter), hard luxury—watches and jewelry—jumped 8%. It suggests that even when shoppers are being careful, they are still willing to put money into high-end, investment pieces from brands like Tiffany and Bulgari. Asia (ex. Japan) also returned to growth in the second half of the year. It’s not a full-blown recovery yet, but the trend is finally moving in the right direction. Bernard Arnault’s commentary was tellingly grounded. He noted that the group "made it through the winter," but isn't calling for a massive 2026 rally just yet. He’s prioritizing cost management and brand desirability over chasing volume in an unpredictable macro environment. The era of easy growth for luxury is over, and we’re back to a market where brand substance and category focus matter more than just being a big name.

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US sports teams are one of the few asset classes where the classic private equity playbook may still work remarkably well. In our latest Research & Insights article, our CEO Esteban Handal and Justin Jiang analyze why long-term media contracts, constrained payroll inflation, and limited franchise supply create an unusually strong institutional investment case.

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