The investment and partnership with the broader 777 club portfolio enables the Club to grow and develop football in Australia by attracting, retaining and developing talent as well as creating a true pathway for Melbourne Victory players and coaching staff, on and off the pitch.
Beyond football, the 777 Partners deal strengthens the broader business via commercial synergies, consumer insights and innovation through the extended 777 Partners global portfolio.
Earlier this week, Melbourne Victory and Bonza, a new low-cost airline, which is also backed by 777 Partners, announced a four-year Principal Partner deal, the largest in the Club’s history.
Melbourne Victory Chairman, Anthony Di Pietro said the opportunity with 777 Partners is incredibly exciting for the Club.
“In looking at the benefits of a strategic partnership for the Club, it was key for Melbourne Victory that we aligned with the right partner who would help create new opportunities for growth and development as well as maintaining what makes Melbourne Victory special,” Di Pietro said.
“The 777 Partners deal will strengthen our capital base and will allow the Club to supercharge its growth trajectory as well as ensure its longevity in Australia and football while retaining the Melbourne Victory brand, fabric and history.
Our vision is to lead, unite, connect and inspire Australians and we believe, now more than ever, that with the resources and strategic support that 777 Partners has to offer we will achieve just that.
“With Don Dransfield, CEO of 777 Football Group, joining the board of Melbourne Victory, the Club will have direct access to world-class data and analytics professionals, advanced player development techniques and global commercial opportunities.
“Our focus has always been on football but equally we are about building the Club for all Melbournians, now and in the future. This arrangement will enable Melbourne Victory to build and develop its talent in a way we have not been able to access before.”
Josh Wander, Founder and Managing Partner of 777 Partners said he is proud to have the opportunity to join the incredible team at Melbourne Victory.
“Football is poised for tremendous growth in Australia, and on this basis, it is strategically important for our group to be here. Melbourne Victory with its success on the pitch and passionate, loyal fan base, is the perfect club for us,” Wander said.
“With 777 Football Group, Melbourne Victory will now have access to world-class data and analytics professionals, advanced player development techniques and global commercial opportunities, such as the unique partnership with Bonza that benefits all involved.
We are committed to doing all of this while respecting the history and traditions that Melbourne Victory fans hold so dear. We are very excited to be a part of this journey alongside Melbourne Victory.
A private investment firm, 777 Partners has quickly built a multi-club network featuring some of the most historic football clubs in the world, including Genoa C.F.C. in Italy, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, Standard de Liege in Belgium and Red Star FC in France, as well as a significant minority stake in Sevilla FC in Spain.
777 Football Group is the fastest-growing muti-club network in the world. In the last twelve months, 777 has acquired some of the most historic franchises in the largest football markets at an unmatched pace, setting itself apart as the world’s most ambitious multi-club football group. During this time, 777 Football Group has also assembled an elite multi-cultural management team made up of highly trained and experienced professionals that advise and inform the overall strategy.
Melbourne Victory was advised on the transaction by Tifosy Capital & Advisory, a leading boutique sports advisory based in London with an extensive track record of sourcing and executing transactions in sports.
About 777 Partners
777 Partners is a Miami-based private investment firm that invests across a number of high growth attractive verticals.
Founded in 2015, 777 Partners strategically invests across six broad industries: insurance; consumer and commercial finance; litigation finance; direct lending; sports, media and entertainment; and aviation.
The firm seeks to acquire and build operating businesses that generate long-term, high quality predictable cash flows for its proprietary balance sheet, while consolidating operations across like businesses to create efficiencies and economies of scale.
777 Partners invests at all stages of the business cycle and targets companies accretive to its existing portfolio.
