Ares Management has acquired a minority stake in the France SailGP Team, a professional sailing franchise backed by a fund involving French footballer Kylian Mbappé. The deal makes the team entirely privately owned.

The France SailGP Team competes in SailGP, the global sailing league founded in 2019 by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and five-time America’s Cup winner Sir Russell Coutts. The league currently features 11 national teams, including the US, UK, Spain, and Brazil.

Jim Miller, Co-Head of Ares’ Sports, Media and Entertainment strategy, said the firm was “thrilled to enter the league and join the France SailGP Team’s existing owners group. With the team’s expanding ecosystem of dedicated athletes, sponsors and fans, we are eager to lend our capabilities as the team continues to build on its momentum.”

Andrew Thompson, Managing Director of the France SailGP Team, said that Ares’ investment “underlines the strength of SailGP’s global league model and reinforces the commercial potential of our teams.”

SailGP continues to attract interest from both investors and high-profile sponsors, with partners such as Accor, Emirates, Red Bull, and Rolex. Team valuations across the league reportedly range between $45m and $125m.

Ares Management has an expanding portfolio in the sports sector, having previously invested in Chelsea FC, McLaren Racing, Inter Miami CF, and Atlético Madrid.

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