Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp.

A special purpose acquisition company

A newly incorporated special purpose acquisition company formed to establish a business combination with an iconic:

  • Global Sports Franchise; or
  • Sports Data, Media or Technology Company

A unique opportunity in an iconic business

We intend to focus our search on iconic businesses, including sports franchises, which will complement our expertise in the sports data, media and technology sectors, benefit from our strategic and hands-on operational leadership and where we believe there are opportunities for attractive risk-adjusted returns, and to build a platform for future investments.

Sports and adjacent technology and services markets are among the most attractive segments in the broader media entertainment ecosystem, supported by macro tailwinds, large addressable markets, and the ability for organic growth and consolidation. Our sponsor group and management team, which brings together a powerful combination of experience, industry relationships, global expertise across sports, finance and management, and highly complementary attributes, is uniquely positioned to identify and execute an attractive transaction that will leverage macro trends and create significant shareholder value as a result of our investment and operating expertise.

Leading industry expertise with proven track record

With decades of combined global experience across the sports, media and financial investment landscapes, and with significant transactional expertise, access to capital and a track record of value creation, both in the United States and in Europe, we believe Iconic is a differentiated sponsor that will have competitive advantages in sourcing and executing an attractive business combination and drive long-term value for our shareholders.

Unique Capabilities

Our unique capabilities are driven by the deep industry experience and extensive deal sourcing and execution capabilities of our sponsor group and management team.

Experience

Sponsor group and management team made up of senior executives with access to capital, financial expertise and complementary business profiles and experience in a variety of relevant industries.

Network

Deep and broad network of relationships in the sports, media and technology industries creating a significant pipeline of opportunities both in the United States and Europe.

Deal-Making

Extensive experience of sourcing, structuring, acquiring, operating, developing, growing, financing and selling businesses.

Value Creation

Track record of driving value in existing businesses, including operating leading sport franchises.

  • Sponsors

James G. Dinan -

Mr. Dinan founded York Capital Management in September 1991 and is the Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer and a Managing Partner of the firm. From 1985 to 1991, he worked at Kellner, DiLeo & Co., where he became a General Partner and was responsible for investing in risk arbitrage and special situation investments.

In 2014, Mr. Dinan purchased a stake in the Nation Basketball Association’s (“NBA”) Milwaukee Bucks, partnering with Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. Over the course of the following five years, from the 2013/14 season to the 2018/19 season, as owners of the Milwaukee Bucks Messrs. Dinan, Lasry and Edens completely reimagined, rebuilt and re-energized the team’s business operations, resulting in substantial improvements across all metrics. Together with his partners, Mr. Dinan is credited with the turnaround that saw the Milwaukee Bucks win the 2021 NBA Championship for the first time since 1971.

Mr. Dinan is a member of the NBA’s Board of Governors and among other positions, is currently the Vice-Chair of the Museum of the City of New York as well as serving on the Board of the Lincoln Center, the Hospital for Special Surgery, the USA Wrestling Foundation and the Harvard Business School’s Board of Dean’s Advisors.

Mr. Dinan received a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Alexander Knaster -

Mr. Knaster is the Chairman of Pamplona Capital Management, a global investment management firm that he founded in 2005. As of 2020, Pamplona Capital Management has managed over $13 billion in private equity, hedge funds and fund of funds assets.

Prior to founding Pamplona Capital Management, Mr. Knaster served as the Chief Executive Officer at Alfa Bank from 1998 to 2004. From 1985 to 1998, he has held senior positions at Credit Suisse First Boston, Bankers Trust Company, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Grenfell and Simmons and Company in New York, London, Moscow and Houston.

Mr. Knaster has a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University, M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and Ph.D. in Economics from Russian Academy of Science. Mr. Knaster is currently concluding a Master of Science program in Molecular Biology at New York University. He is an active philanthropist focusing extensively on funding cancer research and educational activities.

Mr. Knaster is already an investor in the sports sector, having acquired a majority stake in the Italian professional football team A.C. Pisa 1909 in January 2021.

Edward Eisler -

Mr. Eisler is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Eisler Capital, a global investment management firm established in 2015 with $4 billion of assets under management. Eisler Capital pursues a multi-strategy investment framework on both a discretionary and systematic basis, utilising directional, relative value, mean reversion and volatility trading strategies across all asset classes.

Prior to founding Eisler Capital, Mr. Eisler had a 20-year career at Goldman Sachs. He was a Partner and Co-Head of the Global Markets Division, where he oversaw the firm’s global trading activities. Additionally, he was a member of the Management Committee, the Firmwide Risk Committee and the Finance Committee.

Mr. Eisler holds a B.S. in Economics and Finance and an M.S. in Applied Mathematics from New York University. Mr. Eisler serves as an Executive Trustee of the Tate Foundation.

Tifosy SponsorCo -

Tifosy SponsorCo LLC is an affiliate of Tifosy Capital and Advisory. Tifosy is a leading boutique sports advisory firm. The firm has an extensive track record of sourcing and executing transactions in sports and providing strategic financial advisory services to clients across the sports sector.

Tifosy was founded by Fausto Zanetton and Gianluca Vialli. Mr. Zanetton is a sought-after and trusted advisor in the sports industry with over 20 years of experience advising global media, sports and technology companies including as an experienced investment banker at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Mr. Vialli is one of the most iconic and successful European professional footballers of the modern era, having played at Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea.

The firm employs an experienced team comprised of leading individuals from the worlds of finance and sports as well as other talented and focused individuals from across top-tier investment banking, legal and sports marketing institutions.

Tifosy represents a powerful complement to the Iconic Sports investor group given its deep sports sector relationships, industry expertise and global platform with integrated investment and advisory capabilities. Tifosy has served as an advisor to numerous leading private equity funds, high net worth individuals and professional football clubs on various mandates focusing on some of the biggest names in world football: Inter Milan, Inter Miami CF, Chelsea, Melbourne Victory, Parma Calcio 1913, Sampdoria, Glasgow Rangers, Queens Park Rangers, Pisa Sporting Club, Norwich City and Venezia.

  • Management

Fausto Zanetton +

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Financial Officer

Marco Re +

Executive Vice President

Tommy Aylmer +

Executive Vice President

  • Resources

Corporate Governance +

Filings +

Other Documents +

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