Highlight Reel: Sixth Street Behind Latest Women’s MCO Harbouring Global Ambitions ⚽️
Plus Google make a game-changing update to football search results, and Juventus open their doors even wider to the Kings League... 👑 🦓
Good morning!
This week showed no signs of slowing down. A big shoutout to the brilliant members of our community—Subomi, Alex, Lucien, James, and Ben—who are setting up meetups in cities like New York, Manchester, and Brisbane. There’s also talk of potential gatherings in Madrid, Melbourne, and Boston—watch this space!
Now, onto this week’s highlights. We’re diving into:
Bay Collective becomes latest to launch women’s multi-club venture ⚽️
A game-changing update to football search results 🌐
Juventus opening their doors to the Kings League 🎮
These stories aren’t just updates—they’re signposts for the future of the sports industry. Let’s explore why they matter and what they could mean for fan engagement, investment, and innovation.
Let’s get to it:
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MULTI-MULTI CLUBS
Sixth Street Behind Latest Women’s MCO Harbouring Global Ambitions ⚽️
Private equity giant Sixth Street, the majority owner of NWSL’s Bay FC, has announced the launch of Bay Collective, a new multi-club organisation dedicated to advancing women’s soccer globally. Bay FC will be the first team under this initiative.
In addition to its ownership of Bay FC, Sixth Street holds investment ties to Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, and is among the select funds approved to invest in NFL franchises.
The collective will be led by Kay Cossington, MBE, who will transition from her role as women’s technical director at England’s Football Association to serve as CEO of Bay Collective.
The growing influx of capital into women’s soccer is highlighted by Chelsea’s record-breaking £900,000 deal for Naomi Girma, making her the first $1 million transfer in women’s football.
Early adopters of the multi-club ownership model (MCO) in women’s soccer include Michele Kang’s Kynisca Sports, Mercury/13, and Monarch Collective, which recently announced over $200M in fundraising, more than doubling its initial target.
Why It Matters:
While the MCO model has had mixed success in men’s football, it could hold unique potential in the women’s game, where challenges like fragmented talent pipelines, uneven resource distribution, and limited commercial visibility persist.
The MCO model, which can be difficult to implement in established men’s clubs, potentially offers a scalable and unified approach to addressing these issues. By prioritising player development, fan engagement, and cross-market synergies, Bay Collective’s vision is focused on creating a sustainable future that benefits players, fans, and investors over the long term. Time will tell if this theory plays out.
SP PODCAST
Olga Correia: Why Sport Must Embrace Hybrid Reality Formats Like supertri-E 🚴
On this week’s episode, I was joined by Olga Correia, Host and Activation Manager at supertri.
Over the past 12 months, I’ve got to work with supertri in an advisory capacity and got to know more and more about the organisation and their unique structure operating across three core pillars; supertri League, supertri-E, and their mass-participation series By supertri.
With events hosted in vibrant cities like Neom, London, and Chicago, supertri combines innovation with a thoughtful approach to community and legacy. Alongside supertri's CEO, Michael Dhulst, who appeared on this podcast almost exactly a year ago, Olga has been at the heart of this journey, playing a pivotal role in delivering world-class events.
In our conversation, we discuss how supertri adapts to the unique needs of each city it partners with, their plans to roll out more and more mass participation events, and the exciting opportunities presented by supertri-E’s hybrid reality format as well as much much more.
Read More: Triathlon Meets Technology: How supertri-E is Leading the Hybrid Sports Revolution 🏊
OPINION
🗣️ Shripal Shah: Sports Business Needs a Closer Relationship with Venture
“Sports business should be looking at more Y Combinator, First Round Capital, or Andreessen Horowitz backed startups.
In 2012-2014, while Chief Strategy Officer at the Washington Commanders we had paid contracts with LiveIntent, a Zeta Global Company when they were only a small team (< 25), or Pinterest and 5-6 other startups. I had a $250k startup budget to just find ‘cool stuff’ as ownership called it and I would try to rollover unused spend every budget cycle to the finance teams frustrations [and] we had informal partnerships with the venture capital funds.
Your likelihood of success as a professional sports team goes way up when you can ride the much larger tides from these proven VC firms.”
A GREAT RESULT (QUITE LITERALLY)
Google Adds Gender Toggle to Sports Search Results ⚽♀♂
Google has made a significant update to its search settings, allowing users to easily toggle between men’s and women’s teams when searching for football content.
Previously, searches for club names or match details defaulted exclusively to men’s teams, requiring users to add terms like “women” to find relevant results.
Now, a new toggle feature makes it simple for fans to seamlessly switch between men’s and women’s football sections without the need for additional keywords. This change reflects Google’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and better representation in sports search results.
With leading clubs in leagues such as the Premier League and Women’s Super League—like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal—fielding both men’s and women’s teams under the same name, this adjustment tackles a long-standing issue of representation in digital platforms.
Why It Matters:
This move is a step forward for visibility and equality in sports. By removing barriers to finding information about women’s football, Google is making it easier for fans to engage while reflecting the increasing global interest in women’s sports.
As women’s football continues to experience historic growth worldwide, this update reinforces the message that the women’s game deserves equal recognition. It’s a small but meaningful step in fostering inclusivity and ensuring digital platforms support the evolution of football for everyone.
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HIGHLIGHTS
DAZN is reportedly renegotiating its €400M-a-year deal with the French Professional Football League for Ligue 1 broadcast rights, citing low subscriber numbers and financial pressures 📺
Unrivaled Basketball League debuted to strong reviews and set records on TNT Sports, averaging over 300,000 viewers for its first two games. Viewership peaked at 364,000, making it the most-watched women's basketball event ever on the network 🏀
The Miami Dolphins have been announced as the designated team for the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Spain, hosted at Real Madrid’s iconic Bernabéu Stadium as part of the 2025 International Games 🏈
Anthony Joshua has joined Andy Murray as a co-owner of Team AD/vantage, the world’s top padel team. The squad will defend their Hexagon Cup title against teams led by the likes of Lionel Messi and Rafael Nadal, competing for a £840,000 prize pot 🎾
The Bundesliga has become the first European football league to debut on Roblox, offering fans immersive experiences across five games. With activations from partners like Topps and ESPN, the "Bundesliga Clubhouse" is designed to connect with younger audiences in new, dynamic ways ⚽
Howden has signed a three-year partnership as the official insurance broker of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team, aligning with its focus on marine, yachting, and specialty markets ⛵
IT’S NOT BLACK AND WHITE…
Juventus Partners with Zebras FC to Enter Kings League Italy ⚽
Juventus has become the first traditional football club to partner with a team competing in the Kings League, aligning with Zebras FC—an Italian side chaired by Stardust creator and passionate Bianconeri fan Luca Campolunghi.
This collaboration marks Juventus’ first step into the fast-paced, seven-a-side Kings League format, which has gained a massive following in Italy and beyond.
The announcement follows the recent Kings World Cup Nations Final, held at Juventus’ Allianz Stadium on January 12th, further solidifying the club’s commitment to blending tradition with modern football innovations.
As part of the partnership, Zebras FC players and creators will have access to Juventus’ Creator Lab, enabling them to engage with fans, produce exclusive content, and share unique football moments.
Zebras FC members will also train at Juventus’ Allianz Training Center in Vinovo, attend Juventus matches at Allianz Stadium, and have the support of Jay, the club’s mascot, during Kings League matches
Why It Matters:
This collaboration signals a bold move by Juventus to engage with younger audiences by entering a league that merges traditional football with entertainment and gaming culture.
Rather than competing with the traditional football ecosystem, the Kings League offers a complementary platform to attract new fans. By partnering with Zebras FC, Juventus is strategically tapping into this vibrant space, meeting fans where they are and enhancing its relevance in the digital era.
The partnership demonstrates how established clubs like Juventus can adapt to evolving fan behaviours while maintaining their core identity. This alignment could inspire more traditional clubs to explore innovative formats to remain at the forefront of football’s evolution.
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OPINION
🗣️ Steve Martin: Hamilton and Ferrari is a Business Deal Worthy of Major Historical Note
“My view is that they are the two biggest icons in the sport coming back for the twilight of Hamilton’s career.
It’ll transcend F1. The move makes complete sense commercially; I think what we’re talking about now is the valuation of the teams. And Ferrari has come out as the most highly valued team, just under $5bn, which is absolutely extraordinary.
I think that’s the game they’re playing, and they’re about the valuations that they’re trying to create. And these valuations are off the charts in terms of where they used to be – they used to be way under $1bn.
But I think it’s also about Ferrari coming back to try and get the No1 spot off McLaren, so adding Hamilton to the team with the valuation and the commercial sponsorship that will come in, and all eyes and ears on the team, is what they are trying to do.”
JOBS & ASKS
Within the SP Community, we love to share opportunities—whether it’s a job, a search for a new tech vendor, sponsorship, or even investment. We highlight these opportunities on the website as ‘Asks’ or on our Job Board.
Here’s a taster of recent Asks:
Participants for a Focus Group Discussion on Women’s Football 🏟️
Expressions of Interest for Hosting Events in Mallorca 🌴
A Call for Organisations Wanting to Hire Ex-Athletes 🏅
And here’s a few featured jobs:
Manager, Strategy - Major League Baseball ⚾️
Director of Business Development, EMEA - PGA TOUR ⛳️
Football Development Manager - Tottenham Hotspur ⚽️
Head over to the website to check out these opportunities or to submit your own. Let’s keep the connections flowing! 🚀
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WRAP UP
That’s a wrap for this week—thank you to everyone who’s already part of our growing community.
A massive shoutout to Charlie Methven for his contributions this week, providing tangible examples and insights from his experiences operating clubs within the EFL. It earns him this week’s crown as Contributor of the Week.
We’re thrilled to continue to welcome amazing new members to the Sports Pundit community! Shoutouts to:
Alex Ford (Sky)
Álvaro García Maldonado (Football Academies for Social Impact)
Parth Ahuja (Saïd Business School, University of Oxford)
Max Bielak (Portas)
Anil Ramjiani (Nike)
Denys Kulyk (Ex-UEFA)
Reece Littlejohn (Ex-Amazon Prime Video)
Luke Kuhn (Musto)
Ramón Olaso (World Football Summit)
Joe West (Extra Time Limited)
Nick Sims (Go Privilege)
Cedric Chambaz (Ex-Apple)
We’re so excited to have you all in the group and look forward to seeing your contributions! 🌟
Not part of the group yet?
EVENTS
The group chat is fantastic, but we know the best connections happen face-to-face. That’s why our community events are all about being simple, accessible, and meaningful—hosted by members, for members.
Want to attend an event or even host one yourself? It’s super easy—just head over to the website and apply. Here’s to building connections that matter!