Melbourne Victory secures new financial backer from multi-club investment network

With its 2022/23 A-League campaign set to commence tonight, Melbourne Victory has announced    that it has secured a strategic investment from USA-based 777 Partners which it advises is “one of the biggest investment deals into a single sports team in Australian history”.

With the private investment firm acquiring a minority holding in the club, Melbourne Victory Chairman, Anthony Di Pietro stated “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.”

Founder and Managing Partner of 777 Partners, Josh Wander explained “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.

“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.”

Based in Miami in the US state of Florida, 777 Partners has quickly built a multi-club network featuring 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.

During this time, 777 Football Group has also assembled what is calls “an elite multi-cultural management team made up of highly trained and experienced professionals that advise and inform the overall strategy”.

Melbourne Victory advise that the deal will help it attract, retain, and develop new talent and create more pathways for players and coaches, while, off the field, the arrangement will also benefit the Victory through commercial synergies, consumer insights and innovations made accessible through the 777 global portfolio.

While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, one media report suggested that the deal values Melbourne Victory at $32.4 million.

The deal sees 777 Football Group Chief Executive Don Dransfield join the club board.

The purchase follows this week’s announcement that new Australian airline, Bonza, will be the club’s principal partner for the next four years.

In addition, Melbourne Victory has also confirmed that energy giant AGL has renewed its sponsorship for two years with the new deal taking its relationship with the A-League club to a decade as of its current projected end date.

Image: Josh Wander, founder and Managing Partner of 777 Partners (left) with Melbourne Victory’s Chairman Anthony Di Pietro.