Kylian Mbappé’s recent acquisition of a stake in the France SailGP Team through Coalition Capital, announced on March 14, 2025, marks another milestone in a growing trend: global superstars reshaping the sports ownership landscape. At Sport Impact, we’re diving into what this shift means for the future of sport, fan engagement, and sustainability.
The Rise of Celebrity and Athlete Ownership
The increasing global influence of athletes is the story of modern sport and media. SailGP are rightly tapping into this rise in cultural figures through their partnership With DJ Khaled and now Mbappe.
This type of partnership can benefit both parties and at the 2024 Sport Impact Summit (SiS), we explored this trend in depth. Panellist Dureka Carasquillo shared powerful data: sports franchises are increasingly lucrative investments, outperforming the traditional investment markets, whilst offering not just financial returns but also opportunities to boost fan engagement, elevate brand value and driving social impact.
Mbappe’s team are clearly seeing both the investment opportunity and the brand opportunity to Mbappe as well – and let’s acknowledge that athletes are big brands in their own right – the Sport Impact Summit show cased how brands with strong ESG strategies have on average 16% higher revenue growth than their competitors.
With the power to gain value from sustainability being firmly in the hands of the brand owners Mbappe’s brand has the potential to grow by as much as 20% through embedding sustainability into his core brand – what quicker way to do that than associate himself directly with a sustainably focused SailGP team.
Why It Matters: Engagement Is the Key
This isn’t just about deep pockets—it’s about building connections. By drawing in new fans and expanding viewership, these stars are redefining how sports reach and resonate with the world. It’s a virtuous cycle: greater engagement fuels growth, and growth amplifies influence.
Innovation Meets Purpose
At Sport Impact, we celebrate pioneers who push boundaries. Mbappé’s stake in SailGP—a league known for its focus on sustainability—signals a convergence of athletic influence, business savvy, and planetary good. This isn’t an isolated case. From Lionel Messi’s environmental advocacy with ‘Join the Planet’ to Pat Cummins’ cricket-for-climate initiatives and Dominic Thiem’s work with Thiem Energy (a highlight at last year’s summit), athletes are aligning their investments with authentic, impact-driven causes. These moves offer more than just commercial upside—they provide a platform to inspire change.
The Big Question: Impact That Lasts
As more athletes and celebrities take ownership roles, the potential is undeniable. But potential alone isn’t enough. How do we harness this momentum to create lasting impact—for competition, for communities, and for the planet? The opportunity is ours to seize. By pairing star power with purposeful strategies, we can rewrite the global scoreboard in ways that matter.
Let’s not just cheer the trend—let’s shape it.