Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley
By — Front Office Sports
Posted — April 29, 2025
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In the latest episode of Portfolio Players, Kai Cunningham—who advises athletes including Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Breanna Stewart on their tech and real estate investing—joins Front Office Sports to break down one of the most dynamic trends in sports business today: the rise of athlete investors.
Cunningham, who co-founded Limited Ventures to back emerging sports, media, and lifestyle properties, offers a candid look at how and why athletes are putting their money into sports teams—and not just in the leagues they played in. He explains how modern athletes are using capital, connections, and cultural cachet to shape the next wave of sports ownership.
But this isn’t your standard venture capital playbook. As Cunningham explains, the fundamentals of investing shift when the product is a sports team. Legacy, fandom, and identity often hold as much weight as revenue projections. And in many cases, athlete involvement is what accelerates traction and long-term value.
He also dives into the business case for emerging leagues, what makes a property “investable,” and the bigger picture of athletes taking control of their financial futures—not just as endorsers, but as equity holders and decision-makers.
Watch the full episode to hear why Kai believes this movement is just getting started.
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