Chinese Olympians managed to scoop a total of 26 gold medals at the Rio Olympic Games. Although the country’s medal haul was not enough to match its astonishing tally in Beijing in 2008, China finished a commendable third place behind the US and the UK in the medal table.
While being usurped by teams USA and GB may have been disappointing for China, when it comes to M&A the country has its sights firmly set on gold, particularly on sporting asset deals. Sporting M&A continues to score highly and Chinese investors are completing a steady stream of deals in the sector. While the US still leads in terms of sector deal volume, with a recent acquisition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for an astonishing $4bn, we all know that M&A is a marathon, not a sprint.
China’s influence on the world’s sporting stage is gaining more momentum and analysts suggest the number of Chinese buyers among the many bidders for UFC was influential in driving the record setting price paid for the mixed martial arts franchise. In addition, Chinese President Xi Jinping has openly voiced the country’s ambition to host the FIFA World Cup in the near future, having spent several years building a convincing campaign through China’s investment in international football.
Here are the sporting deals that are leading China to pole position in M&A:
Sports M&A shows no signs of slowing down and Chinese investors are at front top of the pack when it comes to deal making.
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