Goldman Sachs Nears US$1 Billion Acquisition of Excel Sports Management
Goldman Sachs’ asset management division is in advanced talks to acquire a majority stake in Excel Sports Management, teh agency representing athletes including Tiger Woods and Caitlin Clark, according to The Financial Times. The deal, potentially announced next week, values Excel near US$1 billion.
The acquisition will see Goldman Sachs purchase shares currently held by Shamrock Capital and Excel’s management team. This move signals Goldman Sachs’ increasing investment in the sports industry, having established a global sports franchise division in 2023 to capitalize on growing investor interest.
Founded in 2002 by Jeff Schwartz, New York-based Excel represents approximately 750 athletes across basketball, American football, golf, and baseball. Beyond athlete portrayal, the agency facilitates sponsorships and executive recruitment for sports properties.
Excel was recently ranked as the third-most valuable sports agency by Forbes in July, reporting potential maximum commissions totaling US$783 million as of July 2025.The agency manages an estimated US$6.56 billion in playing contracts and a further US$3.5 billion in non-playing contracts.
The potential takeover of Excel follows a trend of investment in sports agencies, including the 2023 acquisition of a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency (CAA) by Francois-Henri Pinault at a reported US$7 billion valuation. More recently, BC Partners invested in GSE Worldwide and Velocity Capital Management secured shares in Unique Sports Group (USG). Silver Lake also completed its deal to take Endeavor Group private earlier this year.
