JDS Sports

What JDS Sports does

JDS Sports is a purpose-driven private equity firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in New York, with a secondary office in Los Angeles. The firm invests in startups, scale-ups, and turnarounds across the sports and entertainment sectors, with stated focus areas including media, technology, consumer packaged goods, and wellness. Its portfolio of 30+ companies spans sports media (SLAM, The GIST, Front Office Sports), consumer products (Slate Milk, Lemon Perfect, Round21), wellness (Sauna House), sports technology and gaming (StatusPRO, 19nine), adtech and streaming (Vidmob, Transmit, Streamwise), entertainment production (Fulwell 73, 1091 Pictures, Future), and blockchain/crypto (Framework Ventures, Endaoment). The firm makes Series A investments and pursues M&A opportunities in U.S. and international markets.

The firm operates with a small core team of 5 people and is led by Chairman Joseph D. Samberg (also CEO & Chairman of JDS Capital Management) and CEO Peter Robert Casey (prior experience with the New York Knicks and Team Epiphany/Nike Basketball). Its business model follows standard private equity mechanics — generating returns through equity investments in portfolio companies, realized through exits, acquisitions, and mergers, supplemented by traditional management fees and carried interest. A distinctive element is the firm's "Play with Purpose" Donor-Advised Fund, which has granted $4.8M to over 50 sports non-profits and refurbished 52 basketball courts across 15 U.S. states and 10 countries, positioning the firm as a purpose-driven investor rather than a purely returns-oriented fund.

JDS Sports supports its portfolio with operational infrastructure including a cross-portfolio job board and talent network (jobs.jdssports.co) covering 18+ companies, and a content/news hub. The firm has accumulated industry recognition through Fast Company World Changing Ideas, Project Play Champion, Anthem Awards, Clio Sports Awards, Hashtag Sports, and Shorty Awards. Key portfolio outcomes include the SLAM acquisition of 19nine, the Fulwell 73 merger with LeBron James' SpringHill Co., the Future/Autograph merger with Tom Brady joining as board co-chair, the RedBird IMI majority acquisition of Front Office Sports, and LionTree's majority investment in Transmit.Live.

Name

JDS Sports

Legal name

JDS Sports

Website

https://jdssports.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

JDS Sports is a purpose-driven private equity firm founded in 2018 that invests in startups, scale-ups, and turnarounds across the sports and entertainment sectors, managing a portfolio of 30+ companies in media, CPG, wellness, and technology while operating a charitable Donor-Advised Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Equity / Sports & Entertainment Investment

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Business Consulting & Advisory (Strategy, Valuation, Due Diligence) (MPAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Sports private equity
• Venture capital investing
• Media and entertainment
• Consumer wellness brands
• Impact investing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Private Equity Returns: JDS Sports generates returns through equity investments in sports and entertainment companies, realizing gains through portfolio company exits, acquisitions, and mergers.
2. Management Fees: Private equity management firms typically charge management fees on committed capital and performance fees (carried interest) on returns generated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

JDS Sports is a purpose-driven private equity firm that invests in startups, scale-ups, and turnarounds across sports & entertainment sectors (Media, Tech, CPG, Wellness) through Series A and M&A transactions. The firm also operates the 'Play with Purpose' Donor-Advised Fund to support sports non-profits and runs a talent network serving its 30+ portfolio companies.

Product overview

JDS Sports is a purpose-driven private equity firm that invests in sports & entertainment companies. The firm does not offer a unified product platform; instead, it operates as an investment entity managing a portfolio of 30+ portfolio companies across various sectors including sports media, consumer goods, wellness, technology, and entertainment. The portfolio includes diverse brands such as SLAM (basketball media/apparel), Athletes.org (college athlete association), The GIST (women's sports media), Lemon Perfect (beverages), Slate Milk (protein drinks), Sauna House (wellness facilities), Round21 (sports lifestyle products), Status Pro (sports technology/AI), Vidmob (creative data/advertising technology), Transmit (adtech for streaming), Framework Ventures (blockchain/crypto), and various other companies spanning media, entertainment, and sports technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• JDS Sports Private Equity Investment Platform A purpose-driven private equity investment service that deploys capital into sports and entertainment companies at the Series A stage and through M&A transactions, primarily in the U.S. and internationally. Targets Media, Tech, CPG, and Wellness sectors.
• Play with Purpose Fund A Donor-Advised Fund operated by JDS Sports that supports sports-focused non-profits. The fund has granted $4.8M to over 50 sports non-profits and supported the refurbishment of 52 courts across 15 states and 10 countries.
• JDS Sports Job Board and Talent Network A talent network and job board (jobs.jdssports.co) that connects job seekers with employment opportunities across JDS Sports' portfolio of 18+ companies, including Slate Milk, IDEO CoLab Ventures, Lemon Perfect, Athletes.org, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30+ companies invested since 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Project BackboardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Project Backboard is a key partner for JDS Sports' 'Every Court Has A Story' contest and basketball court renovation initiatives, partnering with Local Hoops and Victory Creative Group.
• Local HoopscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Partner in the 'Every Court Has A Story' contest with Project Backboard and JDS Sports' Play with Purpose fund for basketball court renovations.
• FIFAstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2025Transmit (JDS Sports portfolio company) partnered with FIFA to power in-stream video advertisements in FIFA+, the organization's flagship FAST channel.
• UFCstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Slate Milk (JDS Sports portfolio company) announced a multi-year marketing partnership naming Slate Milk an Official Partner of UFC.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments18 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JDS Sports