Private capital has become an increasingly important force in global sports as franchise valuations continue to rise. Few firms have been closer to that shift than Arctos Partners. Founded in 2019 by Ian Charles and David “Doc” O’Connor, the private equity firm was created to provide sports team owners with growth capital and liquidity through minority investments.

Charles brought a background in private markets and complex transactions, while O’Connor spent more than three decades at Creative Artists Agency before becoming chief executive of The Madison Square Garden Company, which at the time included the New York Knicks and New York Rangers as well as its namesake arena. Arctos has since built stakes across some of North America’s biggest sports franchises, including the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Utah Jazz and Buffalo Bills. In May, the firm was acquired by investment group KKR and became part of its new KKR Solutions business.