OUR MISSION
STRATEGIC FOCUS
SMRF Capital (Sports Media Rights Financing) has been established to invest new capital into sports Intellectual Property (IP) by securitizing media rights, commercial and digital revenue streams of Sports Rights Owners and in the process institutionalizing the sports IP asset class. SMRF Capital provides investors access to a growing and stable asset class that is de-correlated to other financial instruments.
The SMRF Capital team brings unique industry expertise to the portfolio of Sports Rights Owners, supporting future long-term growth opportunities by unlocking the commercial potential of their existing and often under-exploited rights to further drive investor returns.
The team combines extensive financial experience with sports investment expertise to have sufficient reach and scale to compete for attractive investments worldwide.
ABOUT US
A GROWING AND STABLE ASSET CLASS
SMRF CAPITAL
SMRF Capital is an independent investment firm focused on the sports marketplace, a sector that is characterized by strong historic growth. Sports has become an attractive and obtainable opportunity for investors with underleveraged digital assets, massive technology innovation and the globalization of fans creating an environment that is poised for explosive new growth.
THE TEAM
Comprised of industry leaders the SMRF Capital team will provide differentiate value to both our portfolio rightsholders and investors. The SMRF founding partners have worked together for years and have significant experience monetizing and investing in sports assets and successfully managing other alternative financial investment vehicles to help ensure the delivery of the promised growth to investors and rightsholders.
EXPERTISE
SMRF Capital will take a leadership position in the sports marketplace providing added value through deep engagement with rightsholders to accelerate their growth. Understanding how to exploit and implement all the new revenue streams accessible to rightsholders will be a key component to their future growth. In addition, rightsholders have become more receptive to institutional investment vehicles and have put in place new commercial governance structures to drive innovation and further secure the long term management of growth.
OUR SERVICES
A DIVERSIFIED GLOBAL PORTFOLIO
SMRF Capital is developing a broad global portfolio of investments in sports, a sector with a massive addressable market and ever-growing audience. Driven by a passionate fan base, sports are a rare commodity that are supported by long term contractually obligated revenue streams and attractive cash flow characteristics. There continues to be massive revenue growth in the sector despite the recent economic downturn and the global pandemic, demonstrating sports resilient nature as a stable asset class ready for investment.
The growth and personalization of digital platforms is driving new consumption and monetization combined with technological innovation creating new assets and ways to interact with sports consumers. Sports stand out as a scarce, unique and decorrelated asset class with strong recurring revenues and demonstrated protection against inflation creating a robust offering for investor returns.
GAIN ASSESS TO A DISTINCTIVE
GROWTH PORTFOLIO OF SPORTS RIGHTS
FOUNDING PARTNERS
DECADES OF SPORTS MEDIA AND CAPITAL MARKETS EXPERTISE
Claude Ruibal
Claude has extensive global experience in both the sport and digital industries. He served as Global Head of Sports Content Partnerships at Google and YouTube and was the Co-Founder of the Olympic Channel in the USA.
More recently he led a team that did the content production, distribution and digital innovation for major sports organizations including FIFA, World Rugby, NFL, International Ski Federation, NASCAR, PGATour, among others.
Marcus Luer
Marcus is an Asian based sports Entrepreneur, Founder of TSA (Total Sports Asia), Asia’s leading sports marketing agency over the past 25 yrs, which generated over $500mil for global rights holders.
He also founded Total Esports which owns Esports teams, co-founded GLORY Kickboxing, the #1 Kickboxing League and created a series of Branded Real Estate projects. Marcus also hosts the leading sports executives in his popular “Sports Entrepreneurs Podcast.”
David Saab
David is the Co-founder of Alumia, a global distribution platform and the Co-founder of Aperture.
Previously he was an MD at J.P. Morgan, fixed income, a member of the Investment Committee and Head of Portfolio Management at Banque Privée Edmond de Rothschild and he has been an advisor to numerous institutional investors and Family Offices globally.
The SMRF Capital founding partners have worked together for years and have significant experience monetizing sports assets and successfully managing other alternative financial investments vehicles in the past. In addition, the partners are supported by a group of highly experienced executives and advisors in the field of finance and sports IP.
A GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY IN SPORTS
STRONG AND RESILIENT ASSET CLASS
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Measurable & fundable income streams
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Limited downside from Inflation
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Sports play a key role in ESG investments
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A stable and institutionalized asset class for investors
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Little correlation to financial markets
OUTSTANDING TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS
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A management team with an excellent track record
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A solid and identified pipeline of investments
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An understanding of how to drive the value of sports assets in today’s digital world
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An ability to leverage a global network with a world-class group of Advisors
IT’S HAPPENING NOW
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Competition for sports rights is driving value uplift
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Rightsholders have become more receptive to alternative capital investments
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An untapped potential upside exists
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$55bn+ asset class & growing
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Globalization of sports and new digital and data rights will further accelerate growth
