RedBird Capital Partners

Gerry Cardinale launched RedBird Capital Partners in 2014, setting up shop in New York with a strategy built around backing founder-led businesses in sports, media, and financial services. Cardinale came from Goldman Sachs, where he spent more than two decades structuring media and telecom deals, and he brought that relationship-driven playbook to RedBird. The firm typically takes concentrated positions and works closely with management teams rather than spreading capital across a broad portfolio.

Sports and entertainment became RedBird's calling card. The firm owns a stake in Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of Liverpool FC and the Boston Red Sox, and has invested in the XFL, the YES Network, and LeBron James's SpringHill Company. On the media side, RedBird partnered with former Disney executives Tom Staggs and Kevin Mayer on Candle Media, a venture that acquired Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Moonbug Entertainment. The firm also holds a piece of the Pittsburgh Penguins and owns Italian football club AC Milan outright.

Assets under management have climbed past $15 billion as of 2026, up from roughly $7 billion a few years earlier. RedBird's model leans on long hold periods and operational involvement, which sets it apart from buyout shops chasing quick exits. The firm's sports-heavy portfolio has made it a frequent name in headlines about team sales and media rights, and Cardinale has become one of the more visible dealmakers in that space. [edit]