Sports fans can invest in having real skin in the game. While it is rare for sports franchises to be publicly traded entities, the concept is not entirely new. Take Manchester United
MANU,
+1.68%,
for example, which has seen its shares rise recently as billionaires throw their hats in the ring to take over the iconic English soccer club. First, Tesla TSLA CEO Elon Musk joked about purchasing Manchester United, before British billionaire and Ineos CEO Sir Jim Ratcliffe told MarketWatch that he is interested in buying the beloved football club.
Read more: Manchester United stock rises as takeover saga continues; Ineos chief Jim Ratcliffe confirms interest in club The Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC owner John Henry also made headlines in 2021 when they attempted to make those teams part of a public holding. The $8 billion deal would have combined Fenway Sports Group LLC, which owns the Red Sox and the English soccer club Liverpool FC, with RedBall Acquisition Corp. RBAC, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) dedicated to sports business — but the talks fell apart. But in fact, several sports franchises are publicly traded in some manner, or are part of a larger company listed on a stock exchange. So here is a list of some professional sports teams you can invest in:Manchester United FC Manchester United
MANU,
+1.68%,
the most decorated soccer club in England, has 20 Premier League titles and has been publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange since 2012. The stock opened at $14 a share and has seen modest losses since then, trading at above $13.94 per share as of Thursday. Just like any other publicly traded company, Manchester United has to disclose earnings and revenues, which are tied to things like TV contracts and ticket sales — the Glazer Family, which also owns the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise, controls is the majority shareholder of soccer club. (It should be noted, however, that the Glazers are coming under pressure to sell the club, which has spurred the chatte …