Qatar entity MSE minority investor

Article posted by Coliseum, July 14^th, 2023

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The Monumental Sports & Entertainment (‘MSE’) announced on July 10^th that the Qatar Investment Authority (‘QIA’) as a minority investor in the company, which owns and operates seven professional and amateur team franchises, six venues and two media networks, among additional assets. The MSE is one of the most valuable sports and entertainment enterprises in the world, with one of the most diverse ownership groups in the sports industry.

‘Monumental Sports & Entertainment’ stated that as one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the United States, the MSE’s platform provides unique opportunities and scalability for growth and partnerships. Located in the nation’s capital and one of the most powerful Cities in the world, the MSE’s brands are consumed by an audience with a global perspective.

Washington, D.C., (US)-based the Monumental Sports & Entertainment is one of America’s leading sports and entertainment families. Its people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. The company invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so that they can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite the community, its fans and its people.

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Doha (Qatar)-based the Qatar Investment Authority (‘QIA’) is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. The QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the State reserve funds. The QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. The QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns.

‘Monumental Sports & Entertainment’ further stated that among its many diverse investments, the QIA is the principal owner of the CityCenterDC, the mixed-use development that has revitalized the surrounding area, and is located just a few blocks from the 20,356-capacity Capital One Arena in Washington (US). The QIA is a shareholder in many major US companies across a range of sectors, including real estate, technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. The investment in MSE is consistent with the QIA’s focus on long-term, high-value investments.

The CityCenterDC, sometimes colloquially called CityCenter, is a mixed-use development consisting of two condominium buildings, two rental apartment buildings, two office buildings, a luxury hotel, and public park in downtown Washington, D.C. It encompasses 2,000,000 square feet and covers more than five City blocks.

The Monumental Sports’ teams include the 2018 National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, the National Basketball Association’s (NBA’s) Washington Wizards, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA’s) 2019 Championship Washington Mystics, NBA G League’s (minor league organization) Capital City Go-Go, and the 2021 and 2020 NBA 2K League (esports league) Champion Wizards District Gaming and Caps Gaming, an esports sub-brand of the Capitals. The MSE is also a co-owner of aXiomatic (esports and gaming enabler), which has a controlling interest in the global esports franchise Team Liquid.

In the Fall of 2022, the Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) acquired NBC Sports Washington (NBCSW), rebranded as the Monumental Sports Network, which is the exclusive local TV rights holder for Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics games. The Monumental Sports Network is also the TV and digital home for the NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go and the NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming.

The Monumental Sports Network was also the moniker for the digital broadcasting channel which the MSE launched in 2016 and was home to Mystics, Capital City Go-Go and Wizards District Gaming games and exclusive behind-the-scenes content for those teams as well as for the Capitals and the Wizards teams. These operations are now integrated into one brand and under one operation as the Monumental Sports Network.

The MSE’s properties also include Caps Radio, Wizards Radio, an in-house video content creation studio dubbed the Monumental Productions, and Out-Of-Home broadcast boards, Monumental Outdoors. The MSE owns and operates the Capital One Arena, a 20,000+ capacity live events venue in Washington, D.C.

The MSE’s Capital One Arena boasts the first full-service restaurant by a celebrity chef, Guy Fieri’s D.C. Kitchen + Bar. Additional properties under the MSE management include: The 1,200-capacity MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Virginia, the state-of-the-art training facility for the Capitals, and the 10,000-capacity EagleBank Arena in Virginia, a world-class 10,000-seat arena, home to the George Mason University basketball games, as well as concerts and family shows.

In partnership with the District of Columbia and Events DC, the MSE helped develop the Entertainment & Sports Arena (‘ESA’), a sports and entertainment facility in Southeast D.C. ESA’s 4,200-seat arena is the home of the Mystics and Go-Go. In addition, the MSE operates the MedStar Health Performance Center, the training facility for the Wizards, Go-Go and Mystics at ESA.

In March 2023, the MSE opened ‘District E Powered by Ticketmaster’. This flagship venue for esports and entertainment is the largest on the East Coast: A premier, nearly 14,000-square foot live-event theater offering a series of immersive experiences in esports, music, event programing, and community events – along with pre- and post-event activations for fans attending Capitals and Wizards games or concert events at the Capital One Arena. This space entertains hundreds for independent events, offers an extraordinary culinary experience and creates a best-in-class competition and training venue for MSE’s esports franchises, Wizards District Gaming, Caps Gaming and Team Liquid.

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