Melbourne United enters new era through ownership restructure

Melbourne United is set to enter a new era following a significant ownership restructure, resulting in a pair of Melbourne-based entrepreneurs taking the helm of the club moving forward.

Over the past few months, Travis Knipe has increased his stake within the club, now owning 75% of Melbourne United, up significantly from the 30% stake he originally acquired in March.

This purchase was made at a valuation of $50 million dollars, a record figure for an Australian-based basketball club.

Having actively engaged with the inner workings of the organisation since coming in, Knipe’s passion and excitement continued to grow, leading to the increase in his investment.

“I very quickly realised that I had a real passion for the team. The more time I spent within the club, the more I wanted to commit,” Knipe said in a statement.

“I want to continue to build on the legacy that exists here and want to invest a lot more time and resources to help support the long term growth and success of the club.  

“I am honored that the ownership group welcomed me and supported my ambition to become the majority owner and I sincerely appreciate their trust as we start this new chapter.”

Knipe will work alongside Aaron Sansoni, who upped his share to 25% of the organisation in September 2025.

Sansoni, who first invested in the club during the NBL24 season, has been an active supporter of the team since coming on board, attending games with his family both at John Cain Arena and on the road.

He remains focused on building on the foundation set by his predecessors, while adding his own expertise as a globally recognised entrepreneur and private equity investor.

The pair share a goal to keep Melbourne United operating as one of the competition’s most attractive and successful clubs, while continuing to grow its reach within the Australian sporting landscape.

Melbourne United CEO Nick Truelson said the increase in investment by both Knipe and Sansoni should be encouraging for fans of the club.

“To have both Travis and Aaron build on their investment in the organisation showcases the positive direction Melbourne United continues to head in,” Truelson said.

“From the start, it has been clear that they have the best intentions for basketball in the city of Melbourne, and there should be a lot of excitement surrounding what the future holds with the two of them leading the club as owners.”

With this move, the club would like to thank our collection of departing owners: Brett Ralph, Kevin Li, Andrew Turner, Jeremy Vogler, David Brandi and John Hronis, as well as Mike Symons, Simon Hupfeld, and Larry Kestelman, who have acted as the Board Chairperson.

Their work behind the scenes turning the club into what it is today by laying a solid foundation has been remarkable.

Melbourne United will now turn its attention towards its search for a Head Coach, as well as the completion of the teams roster ahead of the NBL27 season.