KKR is in talks to sign a £2.4 billion deal for investment in the Six Nations rugby tournament.

KKR, the US asset management giant, is in expanding talks about a multibillion-pound deal to take a stake in the sports investment vehicle that has stakes in Six Nations rugby, women’s professional tennis and the top flights of French and Spanish men’s football.

Sky News has learnt that KKR has emerged as the leading candidate to lead an approximately €2.75bn (£2.4bn) transaction that would see it become a shareholder in CVC Capital Partners’ Global Sports Group (GSG).

City sources said KKR was in advanced talks about a deal, although other parties, including Ares management, were ready to participate.

In recent weeks, the idea of debt-only financing for GSGs has also been explored.

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A deal involving KKR would highlight GSG’s ambitions to become the most sophisticated global investor in elite sports teams, leagues and other related assets.

KKR recently agreed to acquire Sports.

KKR recently agreed to acquire sports-focused private equity firm Arctos Partners for approximately $1 billion, bolstering growing investor interest in the sector.

The news of KKR’s increasing interest in a stake in GSG came on the same day. CVC-backed vehicle confirms acquisition of Equine Network The largest for-profit equestrian sports league in America – which was revealed by Sky News last weekend.

Announcing the deal on Wednesday, Gemma Wright, partner in CVC’s sports, media and entertainment team, said, “The creation of Global Sports Group was driven by our conviction that premium sports leagues benefit from long-term, specialist ownership and collaboration.

“CVC’s investment experience in games spans over twenty years, and while much has changed in that time, games IP remains a very attractive opportunity in which we see significant potential for further innovation and growth.”

GSG, whose chairman is former BT Group consumer chief Mark Allera, also has stakes in premiership rugby and international volleyball.

Its new War Chest aims to acquire a range of other assets in the game with substantial commercial growth potential.

Once completed, the deal will enable CVC to remain invested in its sports portfolio for the long term, while also paving the way for the sale of a minority stake in GSG or a future initial public offering on a major international exchange.

Earning billions of dollars from its ownership of Formula One motor racing – one of the most lucrative deals in the history of the sport – CVC has purchased stakes in the league and other assets, spanning a spectrum of specific sporting assets over the past two decades.

CVC expects its investment in media rights for La Liga – Spain’s equivalent of the Premier League – to bring good returns to the company, although a comparable deal in France has faced challenges amid financial difficulties for broadcasters in the country.

CVC’s support of global sports properties is aimed at positioning them to maximise their commercial potential through new media and sponsorship rights deals, as well as expanding them into new formats aimed at attracting wider audiences amid rapid changes in media consumption.

Despite the new umbrella holding entity, its sports properties will remain autonomous and independent from each other.

An expected benefit of the GSG approach will be the sourcing of new investment opportunities, with CVC potentially interested in the acquisition of further niche tennis tournaments.

Global sports properties have become one of the hottest growth areas for private capital in recent years, with firms such as Ares, Silver Lake Partners and Bridgepoint investing substantial amounts in teams, leagues and other assets across the industry.

KKR declined to comment, while CVC could not be reached for comment.