Play ball: Rising valuations and private equity inflows signal a new era in sports investment

[SINGAPORE] What do Singapore’s remisier king Peter Lim, Malaysia’s Berjaya Corp founder Vincent Tan and Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra have in common? They are part of an elite circle of ultra-rich who own or have owned top-flight football clubs.

More are expected to join their ranks. Industry watchers said interest in sports investing is growing, as major sports leagues and teams seek alternative capital financing options.

Standard Chartered (Stanchart) on Apr 14 introduced a new alternative fund focused on sports for ultra-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients of its Global Private Bank.