English Premier League soccer side Brentford have secured external investment via the sale of a minority stake by majority owner Matthew Benham.
South Africa-based UK businessman Gary Lubner and film-maker Matthew Vaughan (via his company MARV) are taking a stake in Brentford ownership company Best Intentions Analytics (BIA), reportedly of as much as 25%.
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Further reports have suggested that the deal values the team at £400 million ($538.4 million) overall, pricing the upper end of the pair’s investment at £100 million.
Benham has been searching for an investor to take a stake in Brentford since late 2023, having also divested from Danish side FC Midtjylland, of which he was the majority shareholder, earlier in that year.
Through BIA, a holding company created with the aim of proliferating external investment in the club, Benham also owns Spanish third-tier side Merida AD.
Since promotion to the top-flight ahead of the 201-22 campaign, Brentford have established themselves as a consistent and stable mid-table side, something that has naturally opened up the club to major revenue streams, but it is also a costly endeavor that necessitates investment.
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By GlobalDataThis is best exemplified by the club notching record turnover in the 2023-24 fiscal year of £166.5 million (bringing in the same number the year prior), but made an operating loss of £29.2 million, before player transfer spending, owing to the burden of player wages and amortization costs.
Benham, who acquired full control of the west London outfit in 2012 when it was in the third tier, will continue to control the club, with the investment earmarked to aid upgrades in the playing squad, as well as expanding the variety of commercial opportunities and growing the club’s reach.
Speaking on the sale, Brentford chief executive Jon Varney commented: “This is an exciting time for Brentford. The club has enjoyed significant success in recent years, and this investment will build on that progress to help us continue to challenge in both on-pitch performance and off-pitch commercial growth.
“Matthew Benham remains a committed majority shareholder who has brought the club an incredibly long way in a short space of time. Together with our new investors, we have a shared ambition for continued growth and to thrive in the world’s most competitive football league.”
