Mergermarket Private Equity Forum US 2026

Katten Partner and Co-Chair of the Sports and Sports Facilities team, Daniel Render, will join fellow private equity practitioners and industry leaders as a speaker at the Mergermarket Private Equity Forum US 2026. The event will take place Tuesday, October 20, through Wednesday, October 21, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin. Katten is proud to sponsor the forum, which convenes general partners (GPs), investors and advisors to examine the trends and opportunities shaping today's private equity landscape.

Daniel will speak on Tuesday, October 20, during the panel session, “Game On: The Rise of Private Equity Sports Investing.” The session will explore why private equity is betting big on sports and how the investment landscape has evolved from acquiring stakes in teams to pursuing opportunities across the broader sports ecosystem. The panelists will consider where GPs are finding the most compelling opportunities across that ecosystem, from franchises and leagues to media rights, data, youth sports, fan engagement platforms and other adjacent businesses. They will also examine the challenges that come with investing in sports, including whether long-term fundamentals support rising valuations or those valuations signal the risk of a valuation bubble, and how GPs are thinking about exits and liquidity as the asset class continues to mature.

Learn about the Mergermarket Private Equity Forum US 2026.