In a move that echoes like a stadium roar heard around the globe, Otro Capital closes $1.2B fund, marking the largest debut, sports-dedicated buyout fund ever raised worldwide.
The New York-based private equity firm, guided by legal counsel at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, announced Tuesday that it had completed fundraising for its first flagship vehicle, securing $1.2 billion in capital commitments. The achievement vaults the firm into record territory for first-time sports-focused funds, according to a company statement.
A Record-Breaking Debut
The vehicle, officially named Otro Capital Fund I, surpassed its original fundraising target by a substantial margin. The firm said the capital will be directed toward cash-generating, middle-market companies — businesses either built by accomplished founders or anchored in enduring intellectual property. These are enterprises seeking not just capital injections, but strategic collaboration.
“Our primary goal is to treat sports properties like real businesses,” co-founders Alec Scheiner and Brent Stehlik said in a joint statement. They underscored their conviction that sports franchises and related ventures worldwide will continue to command outsized attention and loyalty — an allegiance that, like a die-hard fan base, rarely wavers.
The pair added that they see opportunities to expand existing revenue channels, unlock untapped ones, and even forge entirely new business models in the sports ecosystem.
