26North & TJC Lead $1B Raise For New Bruin Capital Investment Vehicle

Specialist sports investment firm Bruin Capital has secured a $1 billion capital raise for its new investment vehicle, spearheaded by backing from TJC, 26North Private Equity and other institutional investors.

Founded in 2015 and led by CEO George Pyne, Bruin Capital has steadily built a portfolio focused on service and technology companies that support sports teams, leagues and the broader ecosystem. This latest vehicle is the firm’s largest to date and follows a series of successful funds that have now exceeded $2 billion in capital commitments since inception.

Rather than pursuing direct sports franchise acquisition  an arena where valuations have soared into the billions  Bruin’s strategy zeroes in on what Pyne calls “second-tier enablers” of the sports industry: scalable, recurring-revenue businesses providing essential services such as data analytics, streaming infrastructure, marketing technology, and specialised production capabilities.

Lead backer 26North, the private equity firm co-founded by Apollo Global Management veteran Josh Harris, alongside longtime partner TJC, underscores the growing appetite among large institutional investors to gain exposure to sport through diversified and less capital-intensive assets. Harris himself has emerged as one of the most prominent investors in the sports landscape, with stakes in teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and interests in English football.

Bruin’s portfolio exemplifies this broader thesis: rather than owning teams whose valuations have ballooned, the firm targets the backbone service providers that underpin the industry’s commercial growth. Its holdings include production house Box to Box Films, known for high-profile documentary series, and golf simulator and entertainment company Full Swing, amongst others.

Pyne has articulated that this approach offers investors more accessible entry points to the sports market, with recurring business models and lower structural risk than franchise ownership, while still capturing upside from global sponsorship, media rights, and technology adoption trends.

This latest fundraising success reflects a broader trend of sophisticated capital flowing into sport beyond traditional team equity, with private equity and institutional vehicles increasingly comfortable investing alongside leagues and rights holders. With its fourth investment vehicle now secured, Bruin Capital is positioned to double down on its strategy as the sports ecosystem continues to evolve commercially and technologically.