Apollo Global Management Acquires Majority Stake in Atlético Madrid

Apollo Global Management, through its sports arm Apollo Sports Capital, acquired a 55% stake in Spanish club Atlético Madrid on Thursday, becoming the latest major investment fund to enter the European football market. This move strengthens the global group's sports presence, which manages substantial assets across various sectors worldwide.

The company manages assets exceeding $900 billion, adding the Spanish club to a portfolio that includes investments in Welsh club Wrexham AFC, as well as stakes in major tennis tournaments such as the Mutua Madrid Open and the Miami Open Masters 1000. In this context, the acquisition demonstrates the continued flow of investment capital into major European leagues, aiming to diversify financial portfolios and generate returns from commercial rights.

In a related development, Apollo's investment places it among a list of international institutions that have expanded their influence across the continent. RedBird Capital controls Italian club AC Milan and French club Toulouse FC, while also holding a minority stake in English club Liverpool FC. Furthermore, Spain's La Liga saw an agreement in 2021 with CVC Capital Partners valued at 1.994 billion euros for a 10% share of the competition's commercial rights for 50 years.

Other deals have also been witnessed in the European arena, with Arctos Partners purchasing a 12.5% stake in Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, while the Qatari sovereign fund retained majority ownership. Within Spain's expanding investment landscape, ELK Capital acquired 99.66% of RCD Espanyol, underscoring the transformation of sports clubs into attractive investment assets for global companies.