About Clean Sheet Capital
Clean Sheet Capital is a specialized M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on professional sports. What makes us different: we are a small, high-conviction team that operates with the rigor of a top advisory firm and the speed and intensity of a startup. Our team has owned, managed, lent to and operated sports franchises — not just advised on them. We take a deeply client-centric approach: depth over breadth, repeat engagements with long-term clients, full alignment, and no competing interests. Discretion is non-negotiable.
We advise team owners, institutional investors, and leading family office and private equity principals on change-of-control transactions, minority stake sales, and debt/equity financings across all major North American and international leagues. The CSC team has advised on $8BN+ in sports M&A and financing transactions across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, NWSL, EPL, UK Championship, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 & IPL.
Representative Transactions (2025–2026)
- Advised multiple investors on minority stake acquisitions as part of a change-of-control acquisition of an IPL cricket franchise (2026)
- Advised a control owner of MLS + NWSL teams on a change-of-control sale (2025)
- Advised investor on minority stake acquisition of an MLB team (2025)
- Advised investor on a change-of-control acquisition of a UK Championship club (2025)
The Opportunity
We are hiring an Associate with direct sports M&A experience to join the deal team. This is not a seat at a large bank — you will work directly across live transactions with real responsibility and direct client exposure from day one, including access to ownership groups and decision-makers that you will not get at a larger firm. This role demands someone who thrives in an entrepreneurial, always-on environment — someone who picks up the phone at any hour, owns their work completely, and treats every deal like their reputation depends on it, because at CSC, it does.
You will build a track record and a network in sports M&A — UHNW family offices and sports team owners across every professional sports league — that would take a decade to accumulate anywhere else.
What You'll Do
- Do whatever it takes. CSC is a lean team in a fast-moving market — you will wear multiple hats, move between workstreams, and operate with the urgency and ownership that a startup environment demands.
- Execute sports M&A engagements — change-of-control sales, minority stake sales, and debt/equity financings — as a core member of the deal team from kickoff to close.
- Build and own franchise valuation models, revenue/expense builds, returns waterfalls, and scenario analysis calibrated against league benchmarks and comparable transactions.
- Support client interactions and, for select engagements, join meetings with ownership groups and counterparties alongside senior team members.
- Review, redline, and negotiate legal documents — term sheets, purchase agreements, operating agreements, and side letters — alongside counsel.
- Coordinate with multiple counterparties including opposing counsel and advisors, buyers/sellers, and league offices.
What We're Looking For
- You directly advised on or executed professional sports team transactions — change-of-control sales, minority stake sales, or debt/equity financings. This is the threshold requirement. If you have not been on a sports M&A deal team, this role is not the right fit.
- 2+ years of investment banking or sports-focused private equity experience.
- Deep understanding of league economics, valuation dynamics, and business models across sports leagues. You can speak with specificity about how franchise valuations differ across major U.S. and international sports leagues.
- Experience conducting due diligence on professional sports assets — financial statements, league filings, management accounts, and operational data.
- Familiarity with legal documents in sports transactions — term sheets, purchase agreements, operating agreements, and side letters.
- Willingness to travel for key meetings. The role is primarily execution-focused, but you should be comfortable in a room with team owners and institutional investors.
How to Apply
Send your resume and a brief note to info@cleansheetcapital.com
No cover letter template. Tell us what sports transactions you've worked on, what your role was, and why you want to do this at CSC. We will move quickly for the right person.
