Using Robinhood and Stash to Fulfill My Fantasy of Sports Ownership

BOS. The letters stood out to me as I read the L.A. Times business section back in the 80s. I was barely exposed to the stock market and its cryptic code for stock symbols and accompanying fractions and numbers, but I knew that BOS was the NYSE stock ticker symbol for the Boston Celtics LLC and ownership in the NBA basketball team that embodied the likes of Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and championships upon championships. And I knew as far back as then that I could participate in the sports and entertainment ownership through the stock market and other investments.

Building My Sports-folio

Fast forward to modern times and mobile investment apps like Stash and Robinhood. I spread my discretionary funds across multiple investment portfolios in both tax-free and taxable brokerage accounts, but I use a portion of my Stash and Robinhood accounts to build what I call my “sports-folio.” This includes stocks with connections to MLB, NHL, NBA, and Premier League Soccer. Despite their popularity, I did not venture into the realm of video games or sports betting. I try my best to keep the sports-folio focused on positions in companies that offer more than just a sports segment.

The sports-folio is a combination of individual stocks that are predominantly related to sports including some notable professional sports teams and sports equipment companies. Despite how grandiose it might sound, this sector of my investments represents less than 10% of my overall taxable investment portfolio and it is not even close to 5% of my entire investments including retirement accounts. I hedge my sports-folio stock picks with a Dogs of the Dow dividend-paying portfolio allocation combined with a heavy index ETF position related to both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100. The structure of the overall portfolio grants me the latitude to proudly amuse myself with a minor ownership stake in both sports and entertainment through various stocks.

Sports and Nothing But Sports

A portion of my sports-folio is strictly sports stocks with nothing extra attached to them. These stocks usually do not pay much in the form of dividends and they most certainly do not experience much fluctuation in price.

These strictly sports stocks include:

• MANU: Manchester United (Premier League Soccer)
• BATRA: Liberty Media Atlanta Braves (MLB)