RedBird Capital Partners (“RedBird”) today launched Milan Sports & Entertainment (“MSE”), a holding company for RedBird’s investments in Milan across the sports, venue and entertainment ecosystem. MSE will bring together individual assets within an integrated, multi-sport platform, providing centralized operations, shared capabilities and integrated partnerships across its holdings.

As Italy’s financial and commercial capital and a global center for fashion, design and culture, Milan sits at the intersection of industries that increasingly define the future of sports, entertainment and live events. With a new cycle of private investment, infrastructure development and sports industry transformation underway in Europe, the city of Milan has the strength and scale to become one of the world’s most influential sports and entertainment markets. MSE aims to capitalize on this convergence, bringing together world-class sports properties, venues, live entertainment and cultural experiences within an integrated platform that is firmly rooted in Milan but global in its reach and ambitions. Most importantly, MSE represents RedBird’s long-term investment and commitment to the city’s future.

At the heart of MSE is AC Milan, the second most successful club in Champions League history, with seven European titles, 19 Italian league titles and a global community of over 650 million Rossoneri fans. AC Milan provides the foundation for MSE’s ambitions: an iconic sporting institution with a powerful international brand and a deep connection to the city whose name it carries.

Central to this vision is AC Milan’s recently announced 71,500-seat Generali Stadium, designed by Foster + Partners and MANICA. Generali’s landmark naming rights agreement, the largest in sports history, brings together two of Italy’s most iconic brands — AC Milan and Generali — in a partnership that combines their rich Italian heritage and shared commitment to Milan’s future. More than a football stadium, Generali Stadium will be a state-of-the-art, year-round destination for sports, concerts, live entertainment, hospitality and retail.

Beyond the stadium development, MSE intends to build a broader ecosystem of sports and entertainment assets across Milan. Plans include establishing a stadium and arena venue management business to manage concessions, merchandising and premium suites; exploring the opportunity to own a Milan-based franchise in the proposed NBA Europe league; developing a new destination for sports and live entertainment in San Donato; and pursuing opportunities to further elevate Milan’s profile in international tennis.

RedBird has a track record of building businesses across sports, media and hospitality (Legends Hospitality, On Location, YES Network, EverPass), and MSE will leverage RedBird’s expertise to establish a platform whose collective value, commercial opportunities and global influence extend far beyond those of its individual properties.

Gerry Cardinale, Founder and Managing Partner of RedBird Capital, said, “Over the last 25 years, we have worked alongside rights holders across sports and media to build disruptive businesses that transformed their industries. This evolution is rooted in deep respect for the underlying intellectual property, a long-term partnership with the rights holders and the ambition to maximize the potential of these teams and leagues both on and off the field.

“Milan Sports & Entertainment is the culmination of that work and what we have been building toward since we first invested in AC Milan four years ago. Becoming an owner has given us an even greater appreciation for what creates lasting value: winning, serving the fans and investing in the communities that give these institutions their meaning.

“We are now applying that experience on a different scale — not to one club, one sport or one venue, but across an entire city and sporting, lifestyle and entertainment portfolio. I have known and worked with Brett Yormark for 25 years and could not think of a better executive in sports globally to help execute this strategy. In Brett, we can bring the best of American sports and live entertainment to Milan as we continue to build this next chapter in Milan’s ascendance. Anchored by AC Milan, which will always be the pace car for our efforts, we intend to build a world-class sports and entertainment platform that will shape the future of Milan and European sport and return it to the top of the global stage.”

BRETT YORMARK APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

In connection with the formation of MSE, RedBird is building the leadership team for MSE and announced the appointment of Brett Yormark as Chief Executive Officer. Reporting to Gerry Cardinale, Yormark will lead the development and execution of MSE’s strategy, overseeing the platform’s current holdings and evaluating future investment opportunities.

Yormark brings more than three decades of experience building and leading sports, media and entertainment organizations. He currently serves as Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference and will depart from the role at the end of January 2027. During his tenure at the Big 12, he:

  • Led a period of significant expansion, commercial growth and brand transformation

  • Secured a landmark media rights agreement with ESPN and Fox that runs through the 2030-31 season

  • Oversaw the expansion of the conference’s geographic footprint through the addition of the Four Corners schools — University of Arizona (Wildcats), Arizona State University (Sun Devils), University of Colorado Boulder (Buffaloes), University of Utah (Utes)

  • Brought an entertainment-driven approach to college athletics, elevating the Big 12’s tentpole events and strengthening its brand through innovative marketing, partnerships and storytelling

  • Established its first-ever Big 12 Business Advisory Board, bringing together influential leaders to help advance the conference’s commercial strategy and long-term growth

Yormark previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (“BSE”) where he oversaw the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center. During his tenure, he:

  • Played a central role in the franchise’s relocation to Brooklyn and secured a 20-year arena naming rights agreement with Barclay’s at a record price in 2007

  • Established Barclays Center as a leading live-entertainment destination after its opening in 2012, with approximately 11,000 full-season tickets sold and roughly 80% of its suites committed in its first season. In its first year, the arena hosted approximately 200 events and welcomed more than 2.1 million guests

  • Positioned the Nets as a top NBA team and global brand, with the Nets rising from 31st to fourth in NBA merchandise sales and from 27th to fifth in ticket sales

  • Expanded BSE’s venue footprint by leading the renovation, reopening and subsequent operation of NYCB LIVE, the Brooklyn Paramount and Manhattan’s iconic Webster Hall

  • Had oversight of all facets of Barclays Center and NYCB LIVE, including operations, event programming, sales and marketing

Yormark said, “It’s an honor and a privilege to take on this role in a city with Milan’s history and passion for sport. I understand the responsibility that comes with leading an organization connected to institutions that mean so much to their supporters and communities. Throughout my career, I have helped sports organizations evolve, expand their reach and create new opportunities, and I look forward to drawing on that experience to execute RedBird’s vision for MSE. I am thrilled to be working alongside Gerry, RedBird and our colleagues in Milan, so that we will turn that vision into meaningful and lasting results.”

Brett Yormark Biography

Brett Yormark currently serves as the fifth commissioner of the Big 12 Conference until the end of January 2027. Since joining the conference, Yormark has spearheaded its modernization, bringing key commercial and marketing capabilities in-house.

Prior to the Big 12, Yormark served three years as the COO of Roc Nation and Co-CEO of Roc Nation Unified. Roc Nation is a full-service entertainment company supporting a diverse roster of talent via artist management, music publishing, touring, production, strategic brand development and more.

Previously, Yormark spent 14 years as President and CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) Global, which manages and controls Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Nets’ NBA G League team, the Long Island Nets. Earlier in his career, Yormark worked for NASCAR for six years, where he helped build the stock car racing company into a major sports property.

Yormark was named the maximum three times to the “Forty Under 40” list by Sports Business Journal and was selected twice to the “40 Under 40” list by Crain’s New York Business.

About RedBird Capital Partners

RedBird Capital Partners is a private investment firm that builds high-growth companies and provides strategic capital solutions to founders and entrepreneurs. Founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, RedBird integrates sophisticated private equity investing with a hands-on business building mandate, focusing on its core ecosystems – Sports, Media & Entertainment and Financial Services. The firm currently manages over $21 billion in assets on behalf of a global group of blue chip institutional and family office investors. For more information, please go to www.redbirdcap.com.

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