100 million investment plan and two new partners for Drake's Venezia

Venice is serious. The Lagoon club owned by Canadian rapper Drake, newly promoted to Serie A, has announced that it has concluded a major minority investment led by Tim Leiweke and Francesca Bodie, two of the most internationally recognised managers in the sports, entertainment and real estate development sectors. The investment is part of a Euro 100 million fundraising round conducted by the Venice Operating Committee during 2025-26, aimed at strengthening the club's financial stability and supporting its ambitions to compete at the highest levels of Italia and European football.

Tim Leiweke has been appointed co-chairman of the Venice Operations Committee along with Rob Hamwee. "Leiweke," reads a note, "is recognised as one of the most influential figures in the sports world globally, having guided several teams to numerous titles in the Msl, Nba, and Nhl, as well as having initiated the development of some of the most successful sports and entertainment facilities in the world." For him, Venezia represents 'an iconic team with a 100-year history, based in the most beautiful city in the world, and we will work with determination to excel and thus strengthen the tradition of this club,' he said.

After having brought up LA Galaxy (with the purchase of Beckham) and Toronto Fc to winning teams and built stadiums overseas, the new stop on his professional journey is Italia: 'We are convinced that we know what it takes to create a winning mentality and offer fans memorable experiences. Our goal is to bring this expertise to Venice to ensure that the fans have a world-class home and that the arancioneroverdi become a permanent presence in Serie A". Francesca Bodie has been appointed president of Venezia. "She is an executive specialising in sports management," the statement reads, "and real estate development, with deep experience in growing global brands and creating memorable fan experiences. She has been among the principal architects of some of the most important infrastructure and commercial projects in the world of sport, including the development of stadiums in some of the world's major cities'. Bodie will replace Duncan Niederauer, who will still retain a minority stake in the Venezia ownership group.

Leiweke and Bodie were brought to Venice by rapper Drake, born Aubrey Graham, a gentleman of 89.5 million monthly listens on Spotify who worked with them at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, owner of the Toronto Raptors, the Toronto Fc and the Toronto Maple Leafs. "Tim and Francesca are extraordinarily knowledgeable in their work," Drake said. "They know what success means and how to achieve it. We have succeeded before and I am excited to bring that energy to Venice."

Leiweke is founder and CEO of Oak View Group, a company committed to developing new arenas and transforming the live events industry. Under his leadership, Ovg has quickly established itself as a major player in the industry. Previously, he was ceo of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (Mlse). There, he relaunched major franchises such as the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Fc. Before that, he worked for 18 years at the live music giant Aeg. During his career, he won more than 20 titles in the major sports leagues. Sports Business Journal listed him among the 125 most influential leaders of the last 25 years.