A Winning Team

Over three decades of success in the business of soccer.
Our Investment Approach
INVESTED IN SPORTS

Graham Sports Partners oversees a portfolio of legacy direct investments in sports and related media and entertainment services, principally in soccer.

The Graham family has been investing and operating within soccer for over three decades, with legacy investments today in six diversified soccer verticals. With the formation of GSP, Graham plans to expand into additional sports, focusing on three broad categories: adult and youth amateur sports, professional sports, and sports adjacencies (mainly third-party solution providers).

Today, the Graham Group is comprised of eight investment entities and dozens of operating companies, managing a combination of third-party institutional capital and Graham family capital. Collectively, the Grahams own controlling or substantial direct equity stakes in over three dozen operating businesses spanning industries that range from sports to industrial technologies, advanced manufacturing, software development, health care, and education.

Investment Approach & Criteria

Sector Spotlight: Global Fútbol

The surge in emerging sports, driven by significant growth in participation across niche segments, presents high-growth opportunities through early-stage rights monetization and expanding viewership, alongside greater demand for adult and youth development and adjacent third-party service providers.
OVERVIEW

Investment Rationale

  • Soccer (fútbol) is the world’s largest and most dynamic sporting ecosystem, benefiting from favorable tailwinds across the industry.
  • In North America, the sport is poised for high growth over the next decade, fueled by shifting demographics, increasing youth participation, and growing interest in the game at all levels.
  • This momentum will be further amplified by the region’s role as the host for several major global soccer events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These events will not only boost viewership and fan engagement but also catalyze investment in infrastructure, youth development programs, and the broader soccer ecosystem.
  • As soccer solidifies its foothold in North America, it presents unparalleled opportunities for growth, innovation, and long-term value creation.

GROWING INTEREST

56%

of U.S. Gen Z (aged 16 – 26) indicate an increased interest in soccer
GROWING ATTENDANCE

67%

increase in attendance at MLS games from 2012 – 2022
GROWING PARTICIPATION

32%

increase in soccer participation from 2020 to 2023, 5x faster than the 2nd fastest-growing sport
GROWING AUDIENCE

15.3MM

total players of all ages in organized or recreational soccer in 2023

Sources: U.S. Soccer and Mexican Football Federation, For Soccer, NVGT, Sports & Fitness Industry Association, and National Sporting Goods Association.

Major Soccer Events in North America (2024-2031)

Invested in Sports

Existing Portfolio Company Investments

Graham Sports Partners oversees a portfolio of legacy direct investments in sports and related media and entertainment services, principally in soccer. With the formation of GSP, Graham plans to expand into additional sports, focusing on three broad categories: adult and youth amateur sports, professional sports, and sports adjacencies (mainly third-party solution providers).
For Soccer logo

For Soccer.*

For Soccer is North America’s leading soccer marketing, media, and experience agency providing brands with an authentic connection to the American soccer consumer at scale.
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Soccer.com logo

Soccer.com

Soccer.com (also known as Sports Endeavors) is one of the largest online retailers of soccer goods in the market, providing a crucial intermediary between brands, teams, and families.
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Sideline Soccer Solutions logo

Sideline Soccer Solutions

Sideline Soccer Solutions is one of the nation’s largest youth soccer tournament operators with over 30 tournaments and over 250k youth participants and fans attending the events annually.
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YSC Sports logo

YSC Sports

YSC Sports is a state-of-the-art soccer centric facility located in the World Cup 2026 host city, Philadelphia, with over 800,000 (75% adult) annual participants.
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YSC Advantage

YSC Advantage is a proprietary, NCAA-approved, hybrid, online learning curriculum offered to elite high school players from both domestic and international professional soccer clubs.
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Philadelphia Union logo

Philadelphia Union*

The Philadelphia Union is a professional soccer club competing in the top tier of the American soccer pyramid in Major League Soccer (MLS), with the Union Academy widely recognized as the leader in North American player development.
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Existing Portfolio Company Investments reflects representative investments currently held in various Graham Group entities for illustrative purposes only, and are not current Graham Sports Partners investments. It should not be assumed that any investments made in the future will be comparable in quality, diversity or performance to these investments.

*Non-controlling ownership interest.

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