F1 smashes Forbes rich list ahead of Liverpool’s and Arsenal’s owners
Liberty Media owns Formula 1 and its subsidiaries and has topped the Forbes list of most valuable sports empires for the third year in a row
Forbes, the global business and finance magazine, has revealed that Liberty Media, the commercial rights owner for Formula 1, is once again the most valuable sports empire. The top placement marks the third year in a row that Liberty, led by chairman and longest-voting shareholder John Malone, has topped the list.
In 2021, Formula 1 saw a significant increase in quarterly revenue, raking in $887 million (£698m) in the third quarter. This impressive figure is a 24 percent rise from the previous year. A big part of this success was the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which attracted over 300,000 spectators across four nights and boosted the city’s economy by an estimated $1.2 billion (£940m).
However, Liberty Media is not just involved in motorsports. The company also owns 7 percent of the Kroenke Arena Company, which organises live sports and entertainment events in Denver, Colorado. This includes Ball Arena, home to the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and the National Lacrosse League’s Colorado Mammoth.
The publicly traded company is majority-owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which owns a 23 percent stake. Other high-profile owners include the Vanguard Group, the Baupost Group LLC, and Sculptor Capital LP.
Shares of Liberty Media Corp are now being sold at $30.68 (£24.14), up over 6 percent year-to-date. Here’s a breakdown of their top assets, which equals their top spot.
Liberty Media Assets and Ownership Percentage
Formula One Group
-Formula 1: 100%
-F1 Arcade: 21%
-LV Diamond Production, LLC: [fan festival] 49%
-LV Diamond Property I, LLC: [Land where tracks are built] 100%
-Meyer Shank Racing: [IndyCar racing team] 30%
-QuintEvents, LLC: [tickets and hospitality] 100%
Liberty Live Group
-Associated Partners, L.P: [tax company] 33%
-Drone Racing League, Inc: 3%
-Green energy investments: Unknown
-Griffin Gaming Fund: [venture capital fund] 3%
-INRIX: [data and analytics company] 4%
-Kroenke Arena Company, LLC: [Denver Nuggets, -Colorado Avalance, and Ball Arena] 7%
-Liberty Technology Venture Capital: 80%
-Live Nation Entertainment, Inc: 30%
-Overtime Sports, Inc: [sports media] 5%
-Tastemade, Inc. [digital food platform]
