Tether Makes $1 Billion Offer To Buy Italian Football Team Juventus F.C.

Stablecoin giant Tether has made a $1 billion bid to fully acquire Juventus F.C., the most successful football team in Italy. The issuer of the Tether USD (USDT) and Tether Gold (XAUT) stablecoins already holds an 11.5% stake in the club, making it the second-largest shareholder of the 36-time Serie A and two-time UEFA Champions League winner.

Tether has sent an official proposal to acquire all the shares of Juventus’s majority shareholder, Exor, and boost its minority stake to 100%. Exor is a holding company owned by the Agnelli family that has been managing the club’s operations for over 100 years.

Tether Bids $1 Billion to Buy Out Juventus F.C. From the Agnelli Family at $3 Per Share

In a Friday blog post, Tether confirmed that it has submitted a binding proposal for Exor’s 64.5% stake in the club in an all-cash deal for €2.66 per share. If the proposal is accepted by Exor and approved by Italian regulators, then Tether’s stake would increase to 76.9%. The company then intends to make a public tender offer for the remaining 34.6% of shares at the same price, which will be fully funded with its own capital.

Tether has also committed to investing up to €1 billion to support and develop the football club upon the deal’s completion. Juventus FC SpA is a publicly-traded company with a market capitalization of €944.49 million ($1.1 billion).

Founded in 1897, Juventus, commonly known as “Juve,” is widely regarded as one of the most successful and popular football clubs in Italy and Europe. The team, which competes in Serie A, Italy’s top soccer league, has won a total of 71 official titles across national and international competitions, more than any other Italian team. Its trophy haul includes 36 Serie A championships, 15 Coppa Italia titles, nine Supercoppa Italiana victories, two UEFA Champions League titles, one European Cup Winners’ Cup, three UEFA Europa League titles, one UEFA Intertoto Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups.

This marks one of the most ambitious moves yet by a crypto firm into the elite world of sports, and signals a strategic shift for Tether from a pure stablecoin issuer to a long-term capital allocator in traditional institutions. From a business perspective, the acquisition would give the company complete control over a globally recognized sporting brand, helping expand its footprint beyond the realm of finance into media, entertainment, and global fan markets.

Tether Plans To Expand Its Business Footprint Beyond Crypto Into Global Sports Culture Through Juventus Deal

Unlike short-term sponsorships or fan token partnerships, this move places Tether at the forefront of governance and long-term strategy at Juventus. It also reinforces the company’s claim that it is operating from a position of a healthy and strong balance sheet, as it can deploy massive capital without seeking external financing.

In an X post, Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino wrote that the company’s goal has always been to support the team and “bring it back to the glory it deserves.” In a subsequent announcement, he described Juventus as a symbol of discipline, resilience, and continuity – values that he said mirror those of Tether’s.

“Tether is in a position of strong financial health and intends to support Juventus with stable capital and a long horizon,” said Ardoino.

Tether has always looked to expand its primary business beyond stablecoin issuance. Recently, the company has been investing in artificial intelligence, robotics, health platforms, and privacy-focused consumer technology. It first acquired an 8.2% stake in Juventus back in February, and three months later, bought additional shares to increase its participation in the football team to over 10.12% of the issued capital share, representing 6.18% of the voting rights. At the time, Ardoino said that the investment is not just a short-term financial maneuver, but a commitment to “innovation and long-term collaboration.”

In October, the company nominated its deputy investment chief, Zachary Lyons, and Fransesco Garino, a lifelong Juve supporter, to the club’s board of directors. Last month, Juventus shareholders approved both nominations, with the board now expanded to nine members. Lyons and Garino join other key figures, including Guido de Boer, financial director of Exor, and Damien Comoli, the new CEO of Juventus, on the board.

Tether Makes Strategic Investments in AI, Robotics, Sports, Media, Healthcare, and Bitcoin Mining

The Juve bid adds to a long list of strategic investments made by Tether. Earlier this year, investment banking giants Cantor Fitzgerald and SoftBank, and crypto exchange Bitfinex partnered with Tether to create a $3 billion crypto acquisition company. The company is also involved in Bitcoin mining, recently announcing its intention to deploy hashrate to Ocean’s Bitcoin mining pool, aiming to strengthen the network’s decentralization.

Tether invested €10 million in the Italian media company Be Water, and $775 million in Canadian YouTube rival Rumble. This week, the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) recognized the regulated use of USDT, the company’s flagship product, across multiple blockchains by licensed institutions in the economic freezone.

Juventus is no stranger to crypto. The club previously launched the $JUV fan token on the Chiliz and Socios platforms, allowing fans to participate in polls and engagement initiatives. The team has previously partnered with crypto companies as sponsors, including one with Polish crypto exchange Zondacrypto.

At the time of writing, Juventus Fan Token ($JUV) is trading at $0.7978 – up 25.71% in 24 hours. Meanwhile, Juventus Football Club SpA (JUVE) closed Friday’s market session at €2.21 – up 2.3% on the day.