Simon Sports, a sports investment firm in downtown Birmingham run by Sam and Peter Simon, has partnered with The Players Impact (TPI), a global, authenticity-driven community that provides athletes with venture education, professional networking, and investment opportunities.
With Simon Sports’ investment experience and TPI’s established ecosystem and active member group, the partnership plans to offer a 360-degree perspective on identifying and attracting unique deals with the greatest potential returns.
Simon Sports owns the Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, which it acquired in March 2023, and recently completed a significant investment into English Championship soccer club Ipswich Town FC. Ipswich Town currently sits atop the Championship table, which would result in automatic promotion to the Premier League.
“The synergy between Simon Sports and TPI is undeniable. Together, our ambition is to revolutionize the sports investment landscape and empower athletes to achieve their entrepreneurial aspirations,” says Peter Simon, president of Simon Sports.
Co-founded by Tracy Deforge seven years ago, “TPI has long recognized the growing demand of the athlete investor/entrepreneur and has empowered this community with education, access, and curated opportunities that build and support professional athletes’ off field and post-career earning potential,” says Deforge.
Maurice “Mo” Evans, former executive vice president of the National Basketball Players Association and a current TPI Member, states, “As a retired NBA player, TPI has made it easy for me to partner with them as my trusted platform to grow my investment portfolio.”
Deforge adds, “Our partnership with Simon Sports will enable us to accelerate our impact and reach new heights in empowering athletes in business. We remain steadfast in our dedication to providing education, access, and investment opportunities. Athletes share a community to learn, earn, and invest.”
Under the terms of the partnership, Deforge will continue to serve as CEO of TPI, while Simon, founder and chairman of Simon Group Holdings, will assume the role of board chairman of TPI.
John Cahaly, a TPI investor, also will join the board. The strategic alliance will see Simon Sports provide support to enhance TPI’s infrastructure. TPI will offer unique deal flow opportunities and access to the future of athlete investment.
“The Players Impact has provided me with a community of like-minded business leaders and athletes on the same quest to be as great off the field as we were on it,” says three time Super Bowl Champion Lonie Paxton.
“Throughout my career there’s never been a deal that hasn’t sounded like the greatest opportunity ever. The Players Impact provides me the proper guardrails to review those same deals through a long term financial lens rather than a short term emotional one. The community networking events and monthly certified deal flow has been some of the greatest real life education as I transition into my second career.”
Formed in 2022, Simon Sports is a sports investment firm and management group that serves as an umbrella for Sam Simon and his son Peter Simon’s sports ventures. Simon Sports has two divisions:
- Operations: The operations division is focused on sports teams and provides day-to-day support of the company’s management of franchises and teams owned by the Company.
- Investments: The investment division identifies and contributes to cutting edge technologies and emerging diverse developments across the sports industry.
For more information, visit simonsports.com/.
.){kind=link}