Sports Ticker #152 - Europe's first purpose-built women's stadium and Matchroom Sports £1 billion valuation

In a fortnight that saw Southampton FC be expelled from the Championship play-off final (as of the time of writing) for reports of spying on opposition training, Manchester City Women lift their first league title in 10 years, and Arsenal FC secure their first Premier League title in 22 years, we bring you news of Europe’s first purpose-built women’s stadium and Matchroom Sports’ £1 billion valuation.

As always, if there are any issues on which you’d like more information (or if you have any questions or feedback), please do let us know or get in touch with your usual contact at RPC.

Seagulls Soaring High: Plans announced for Europe’s first purpose-built women’s stadium
Brighton & Hove Albion are set to build Europe’s first purpose-built women’s stadium, due to open for the 2030-31 season. The 10,000-capacity site, located next to the Amex Stadium, will be specifically designed for women’s players, staff and supporters. Currently, the club’s WSL games take place in Crawley, over 20 miles from the Premier League venue. It is hoped that better access, superior pitch standards and improved facilities (such as more women’s toilets, baby changing rooms, and alcohol-free areas) will improve attendances and atmosphere. Tony Bloom, the club’s owner, will personally finance the £75m project without external investment. The move could be the first of many, with Birmingham City also considering a similar project for its newly promoted women’s team. Elsewhere, Chelsea FC Women has recently announced plans to move all their WSL games to Stamford Bridge, joining Arsenal, Aston Villa and Leicester City in playing WSL matches at the clubs’ main stadia.

Hanging up the LIV clubs: Saudi PIF pulls funding for team-golfing tournament
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has confirmed it will end its financial backing of LIV Golf after the 2026 season.  PIF governor, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, co-founded LIV Golf in 2022, investing £3.8 billion to entice golfers with multi-million-pound contracts and £20 million prizes. However, following a decade of heavy spending on sports and geopolitical pressures, the potential for another decade of significant losses has prompted PIF to retire its swing. Further, negotiations between PGA Tour and LIV were non-exclusive, allowing PGA to strike profitable deals elsewhere. LIV Golf believes that an international model can exist, with its strong fan base in non-American markets - such as Australia and South Africa. The league promised a 100% revenue increase year on year, and 10 of the 13 teams are expected to be profitable. With new directors Gene Davis and Jon Zinman joining, known for their US distressed debt investing, LIV golf’s future is tentative but possible.

A 3 (Billion Dollar) Pointer: NBA commits big to European basketball league
Late March marked the deadline for bids for one of the 12 founding spots in the NBA’s proposed European basketball league (first covered in Sports Ticker #144). The project drew in significant attention, with more than 120 expressions of interest and several bids reportedly exceeding $500 million. However, some concerns remained over the league’s revenue projections. In response, the NBA has announced it will commit up to $3 billion to the venture, signalling confidence in the commercial potential of establishing a major new competition in Europe. Under the proposed structure, the NBA and FIBA would own 52% of the league, with participating teams holding the remaining 48%. The model would combine a permanent 12 founding teams, with four to six places open to other clubs based on performance. By blending the financial stability of a US-style franchise system with the competitiveness of the European sporting model, the league could help basketball ‘net’ out as one of Europe’s most profitable sports.

Big (H)earners: Bruin buys stake in Matchroom Sports as billion-pound group plots US push
US investment firm Bruin Capital has acquired a 15% stake in Matchroom Holdings, in a deal valuing the sports media and promotion group at more than £1 billion. Owned by father-and-son duo Barry and Eddie Hearn, Matchroom was founded in Romford in 1982 and remains headquartered in Essex. The company owns the rapidly growing Professional Darts Corporation, a majority stake in World Snooker and is a major boxing promoter. For the year ended June 2025, Matchroom reported revenues of £225 million, up from £218 million in 2024. The investment will give Bruin a firm foothold in live sports media, and will build on its work with British sports businesses expanding into the US (Bruin invested £30 million in Drive to Survive producer Box to Box Films in 2024). Deal terms were not disclosed, but Barry Hearn said Matchroom wants to “make a massive push into America” – and Bruin is backing them to hit the bullseye.

Anchors Aweigh: Cornish Pirates get Seven-Figure Private Equity Investment Over the Line 
RFU English Championship team, Cornish Pirates, have announced a multi-million-pound investment by Stonewood Capital Management. The news follows a trend of large-scale investments being made into English rugby clubs: most notably Dyson recently acquired a co-owning stake in Bath Rugby (see Sports Ticker #149). A large proportion of this investment flows from across the Atlantic. In part this is due to increased interest ahead of the US 2031 Rugby World Cup, however, much of the interest follows the Prem’s decision to move to a franchise model from the 2026-27 season (see Sports Ticker #147). With a tender process due to take place during 2027-28 for two additional franchises in 2028-29, the investment is a timely one for Cornish Pirates. The club is already competitive in English rugby union’s second tier on a relatively small budget, but with the additional support of their new backers, the club may well seek to board that ship. 

Extra time...

…and finally, a Premier League club’s kit launch has attracted rather more attention than its designers bargained for. Artist Andrew Small has reportedly alleged that Sunderland AFC’s 2025-26 away kit incorporates a likeness of “C”, a sculpture he was commissioned to design in 2008, without his permission. The artwork, installed on the Whitehaven to Sunderland cycle route, frames a view of Roker Lighthouse through a camera-shutter-style square aperture. Small claims the kit reproduces substantial elements of the work, while Sunderland AFC – who initially said the design was inspired by the club’s former nearby ground – reportedly disputes the allegation, arguing that copyright does not protect ideas or concepts. The line between inspiration and infringement, however, is often finely drawn and central to copyright disputes.