Angel City is poised to become the most valuable women’s professional sports team in the world after reaching a historic ownership deal with Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, the club announced Wednesday.
Iger and Bay will become the controlling owners of Los Angeles-based Angel City in a sale that will value the club at $250m. The figure Shatters the $120 Million the Levine Family Paid Leichtman for the San Diego Wave in March, which at the time was a record amount for a team in the National Women’s Soccer League.
“ACFC and these incredible athletes have already made a tremendous impact on the NWSL, women’s soccer and the Los Angeles community,” Bay said in a statement. “With this investment of resources and capital, we hope to accelerate the growth of the club and the NWSL.”
The sale, which is subject to league approval, will see Iger and Bay invest an undisclosed amount, of which $50 million will be used as a capital injection to fund the club’s future growth.
“We know [Bay and Iger] “We are the right partners to lead us into this new era – committed to further strengthening ACFC’s position as the leading organization and brand in women’s sports and championing the team’s broader mission, which includes advancing equality for athletes and women-founded businesses,” the ACFC board of directors said in a statement.
Bay will have full control over the club’s board, which will also include the club’s previous owner and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, actress Natalie Portman, entrepreneur Julie Uhrman and early investor Gillian Berry.
The club was founded in 2020 by Portman, Uhrman and venture capitalist Kara Nortman and has a host of smaller investors, including retired athletes Billie Jean King, Abby Wambach and Lindsey Vonn and actors Jennifer Garner and Eva Longoria.
“This is just the beginning. I am excited to see this continued investment and to continue to build Angel City into what I know can be the greatest brand in all of women’s professional sports,” Ohanian told Reuters this year.
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Angel City has amassed numerous commercial partners and season ticket holders, and has played to packed stadiums since its debut season in 2022. In 2023, the club generated the highest revenue of any women’s team in the world, topping the NWSL in sponsorship and total revenue. Angel City’s home crowd was also the second-best in the league, averaging 19,756 fans per game.
The team has struggled on the field this season, sitting 11th in the NWSL standings, three points off the play-off spots.