Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Juan Sartori’s growing sports empire could shape Sunderland’s future role in new ways
Bia Sports Group, launched earlier this year, is now home to Sunderland and several growing sporting properties. Since the club’s return to the Premier League, Louis-Dreyfus and Sartori have overseen a major spending spree, committing over £100million on transfers, investing in infrastructure upgrades, and strengthening the club’s backroom team.
Now, financial expert Kieran Maguire has spoken to TBR Football about where Sunderland could sit within BSG’s wider ambitions, describing the group’s latest moves as “an interesting development.” BSG recently added the World Supercross Championship and a new global rugby sevens franchise to its portfolio – and it’s expected that more sporting acquisitions are on the way.
According to Maguire, Sunderland are likely to remain “largely independent” under the BSG umbrella, but may play a strategic role in building the group’s profile, particularly with sponsors. “It’s probably more about using the Sunderland badge for the benefit of the wider network,” he explained. “When you have Sunderland’s badge on your website, that is attractive to sponsors.”
Maguire also suggested the Louis-Dreyfus and Sartori-led group may use football’s global appeal to support their niche sporting ventures. While sports like Supercross and rugby sevens can draw audiences in locations like Hong Kong and Dubai, the Sunderland brand has broader commercial pull.
Bia Sports Group has publicly stated its goal is to identify investment opportunities in both emerging and established sports, aiming to create exponential growth by “leveraging their purpose-built platform to drive accelerated business outcomes and fan experiences.”
Multi-club models are becoming increasingly common in football. City Football Group, Red Bull, and Eagle Football Holdings have all expanded into global sporting networks. Even Everton’s ownership has recently launched Pursuit Sports, a vehicle that includes Roma and Cannes in its portfolio alongside the Merseyside club.
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Sunderland remains BSG’s only current football club. However, with expansion on the horizon, Maguire believes the Black Cats could become a central figure in a rapidly evolving sporting landscape, though that does not necessarily include a multi-club model.
Kieran Maguire on Bia Sports Group and Sunderland
“It’s an interesting development. Sunderland are a different piece in a different jigsaw, I suspect,” Maguire said. “These sports Bia are investing in are niche, whereas football is global. Supercross has a dedicated audience, as does the rugby element.”
The football finance expert continued: “It will attract audiences if you host it in Hong Kong or Dubai, but not necessarily global ones, so the growth potential there is more limited. I think Sunderland will be run largely independently.”
Maguire concluded on the matter: “I think it’s probably more about using the Sunderland badge for the benefit of the wider network, as opposed to the other way around. When you have Sunderland’s badge on your website, that is attractive to sponsors.”
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