For the wealth management industry in general, the business of sports teams, as well as the individual financial affairs of sportsmen and women, has become a distinct – and large – specialty. Deutsche Bank is expanding its financing capabilities in the area, and has its sights on NFL and other sports franchises.

For the wealth management industry in general, the business of sports teams, as well as the individual financial affairs of sportsmen and women, has become a distinct – and large – specialty. Deutsche Bank is expanding its financing capabilities in the area, initially concentrating on areas such as the English Premier League.

This week, Deutsche Bank’s private banking arm announced that it is expanding its sports financing business, with a focus on the US and Europe.

The financing business is under Arjun Nagarkatti, who is the head of the private bank for the US and Europe International business. As part of the build-out, the Frankfurt listed-bank has appointed Sowmya Kotha in London and Joshua Frank in New York, who report to Adam Russ, head of wealth management and business lending.

In these expanded roles, Kotha and Frank will work with relationship managers, investment managers and the broader wealth management lending teams to enhance opportunity sourcing, strengthen execution and accelerate growth, Deutsche Bank said. 

The sports financing business shows that this area is not simply a private banking niche, but a substantial area. Rival Citigroup, for example, spoke to this news service in 2025 about its work with ultra-wealthy people wanting to buy, sell and run sports teams. Our US correspondent recently wrote about opportunities for wealth management as a result of changes in college sports.

Deutsche said its private bank has helped clients to finance acquisitions of sports teams and release liquidity from long-term strategic holdings for more than 10 years.

“Demand for specialist lending and advisory services continues to grow across its global client base fueled by the diverse sports attracting interest in various regions, including in fast-growing markets such as the Middle East and Asia,” the bank said.

“Sports has become a globally recognized investment category, and our clients are increasingly active participants.” Claudio de Sanctis, head of the private bank, said in a statement.

“We see a trend where, for Europeans, investing in sports often remains more closely linked to emotional affinity and local club loyalty,” said Nagarkatti. “Meanwhile, US investors increasingly view sports as a dedicated asset class with structurally attractive characteristics. We want to be the preferred banking partner for clients interested in this asset class on both sides of the pond.”  

The bank is initially concentrating on the English Premier League. As its US franchise has expanded, this has led to financing across all four major US sports leagues: National Football League; Major League Baseball; National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League.

For the wealth management industry in general, the business of sports teams, as well as the individual financial affairs of sportsmen and women, has become a distinct – and large – specialty. For example, the Rockefeller Global Family Office has experts who look after athletes and entertainers. Other firms that have expertise in and around sports include Carnegie Private Wealth, for example, and Merrill Lynch Management. In the UK, the private banking group Coutts has a sports, media and entertainment division for its wealthy clients. Standard Chartered, the UK-listed bank with a significant presence in Asia, has launched a new alternative fund focused on sports for ultra-high net worth and high net worth clients under its Global Private Bank.