Boutique investment bank Inner Circle Sports has hired WILLIAM DIBLASI to expand its facility advisory group. DiBlasi joins from Goldman Sachs, where he spent a decade working on stadium deals including the Barclays Center, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the NBA Kings' Golden 1 Center. He was most recently involved with several MLS stadium deals, including the Crew’s new $300M stadium in downtown Columbus, scheduled to open next year. “Inner Circle has a strong existing practice that they’ve developed over the years,” said DiBlasi. “My goal is to help them expand that.” Inner Circle currently represents the cities of Seattle, Las Vegas and Charlotte. Inner Circle partner STEVE HOROWITZ said he was excited for DiBlasi to join the firm and help expand its facility practice. “We don’t do anything but give objective advice, and that is where we’ve made our mark on the advisory side of M&A,” said Horowitz. “We want to help bring that into the market on the stadium and arena side.”
SHIFTING FOCUS: “One of the things that appeals to me at Inner Circle is that I’ve always been drawn to the advisory side of the work,” said DiBlasi, who expects that stadium investments will continue to be a major focus for team owners, though the ongoing public health crisis may complicate things in the near term. “People are approaching these projects carefully, trying to understand what the long-term impact is going to be,” said DiBlasi, who noted stadium deals may now include questions about hygiene protocols, new seating products and entrance and exit procedures. But in the long-run, “there will be continued investment in sports facilities for sure,” said DiBlasi. “You’re going to find the stadium credits will withstand this pretty well, and they will be a proof of U.S. leagues and the staying power of sports.”
