The Live Events Decade
anil@anil
+0.3%
since Oct 6
The idea
I believe live sports and in-person events keep taking a bigger share of spending for years to come, because the experience itself can't be streamed or copied. I own all three layers: the gatekeepers running ticketing and promotion, the scarce teams, leagues, and venues themselves, and the money flowing around the game through betting, data, and stadium spending. It's weighted toward durable cash generators with some real-asset ballast, built for a decade-long shift rather than a quick trade, and I keep a small cash buffer on the side.
What it owns
- Every game watched live now has money riding on it, and the betting and data companies that facilitate wagering take a cut. · Flutter EntertainmentIt owns FanDuel, the largest US sports betting platform, which captures wagering volume that grows as more people watch live games., DraftKingsIt is the leading digital sportsbook in the US and profits from Americans wagering more around live sports as betting spreads to new states., Churchill DownsIt owns the Kentucky Derby, an event that cannot be replicated, plus a gaming business that generates steady cash from live racing and wagering., Genius SportsIt sells the official data that sportsbooks and media platforms run on, earning from the money around games without taking betting risk itself., Sportradar GroupIt provides odds feeds and live data to bookmakers worldwide, a picks-and-shovels way to own the growth of global sports betting handle.26%
- Whoever controls the ticket and the tour collects a toll on every event, and demand for live experiences keeps growing. · Live Nation EntertainmentIt owns Ticketmaster and operates the largest promoter and venue network in live music, collecting a toll on nearly every concert ticket sold., TKO Group HoldingsIt operates UFC and WWE, two products that only work live and in the moment, selling both arena tickets and premium media rights priced off live demand., Sphere EntertainmentIt operates the Sphere in Las Vegas as a venue for immersive in-person experiences that cannot be replicated at home, a bet on willingness to pay for live spectacle., Madison Square Garden EntertainmentIt owns Madison Square Garden and Radio City, scarce venues in the largest live market in the country that earn more per night as live events gain share of spending.23%
- The food, travel, gear and real estate around events capture spending without depending on any one team or tour. · VICI PropertiesIt owns land under casinos and entertainment venues and collects long-term rent from operators as the experience economy grows., AramarkIt operates food and beverage at stadiums and arenas, so every additional fan through the gate generates food and drink revenue., Royal Caribbean GroupIt operates cruise ships carrying people choosing experiences over things, a direct read on the spending shift toward live events and travel., AirbnbIt earns when people travel to games, concerts, and festivals, capturing how a live-events decade shows up in lodging and travel demand., Dick's Sporting GoodsIt sells sports gear and fan merchandise that move alongside sports enthusiasm, a consumer-level signal of whether live sports are gaining cultural share.23%
- Teams and leagues are scarce trophy assets, and the publicly traded ones often trade below what private buyers have paid for comparable properties. · Liberty Media Formula OneIt owns Formula One, the league itself, which is the scarcest layer of live motorsports and monetizes through race calendars, sponsorships, and media rights., Madison Square Garden SportsIt owns the Knicks and Rangers, irreplaceable New York franchises that trade below what private buyers have paid for comparable team assets., Atlanta Braves HoldingsIt owns the Atlanta Braves and The Battery, a mixed-use district around the stadium where fans spend money before and after games., Manchester UnitedIt is one of the world's largest football clubs by fanbase, a trophy asset that private capital has bid up as global football revenues keep growing.20%
- Cash8%