27th Sports, the sports arm of investment company 27th Investments, has announced the acquisition of The Hawks, a team competing in the inaugural edition of the World Tennis League in Dubai.
The World Tennis League is an exhibition tournament with an innovative new format that has attracted huge tennis stars like Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. 16 of the world’s best male and female players will be drawn into four teams of four and face each other in a round robin competition. To be held in the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai from the 19th-24th of December, the six-day event will also feature a series of six concerts by globally renowned artists like Tiesto, Wizkid, Deadmau5, Ne-Yo, Mohamed Ramadan and Armin van Buuren, living up to its tagline of The Greatest Show on Court. On November 5th, 2022, 27th Sports acquired The Hawks comprising of Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Elena Rybakina and Annett Kontaveit.
Leading US-based investment firm 27th Investments has an active portfolio worth $1 billion in various sectors such as gaming, real estate, and start-up ventures. 27th Sports, a sports-specific fund in excess of 100 million US dollars was launched last year to focus specifically on emerging markets and sports such as cricket, golf, beach sports and e-sports among others. With the acquisition of The Hawks, 27th Sports has now ventured into tennis as well. Their goal is to acquire exclusive and long-term commercial rights across sports federations worldwide. The company has also recently acquired the rights of the Road Safety T20 World Series starring legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Brett Lee amongst others.
Sunny Bector, Chairman and Co-founder, 27th Sports
Speaking at the announcement event, Sunny Bector, Chairman and Co-founder, 27th Sports, said, “We are incredibly excited to have acquired The Hawks and thrilled to expand into another global sport like tennis. The World Tennis League is going to be a sport and entertainment extravaganza – it will showcase world-class tennis matches and also include impressive concerts each day- to create the ultimate fan experience. At 27th Sports, our plan is to partner with the best-in-class leagues and acquire exclusive commercial rights across sports federations worldwide, particularly in emerging markets and sports. We eagerly look forward to the first edition of The World Tennis League in Dubai.”
“We are thrilled to support the talented players and staff of The Hawks to deliver success on the court and allow fans to share in this extraordinary experience. We will continue to leverage our global sports and media network to make this event a huge success,” said Anil Damani, CEO and President of 27th Investments USA.
Sharing this sentiment, Sangeet Shirodkar- CEO and Co-founder, 27th Sports, said, “The World Tennis League is set to make its mark on the Dubai sporting calendar and the world of tennis, and we are delighted to be a part of this event! At 27th Sports, we are deeply passionate about promoting and investing in new sporting events in emerging markets. The WTL is the perfect fit for us. We eagerly look forward to a long-term association with the league and The Hawks.”
