Private Equity Firms Increasingly Invest in NWSL, Signaling League’s Growing Value
NEW YORK – A surge of private equity investment is reshaping the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), making ownership more accessible and fueling rapidโ expansion. Once prohibitively expensive, stakes โin top NWSL teams are now โฃattracting a diverse range of investors eager to capitalize on the burgeoning popularityโ of women’s sports.
Financial advisorโ John Eisler, who has facilitated recent NWSL ownership transactions, notesโ the changing โคlandscape.He assisted controlling owners in โforming ownership โconsortiums, securing co-investment, including from private equity sources, โin multiple deals.โค “The entry point is far more accessible. One percent of an NFL team might cost $70 million. Whereasโ $70 million just a few yearsโ ago could buy an NWSL franchise, today, you could buyโข 30 percent of the mostโ valuable team with that money,” Eisler said.
The influx of capital is evident in the growing list of private equity firmsโค investing in the league.Angelโ City FC โinvestor Kara Nortman’s Monarch Collective holds minority investments in three NWSL teams: Angel City FC, โคSan Diego Wave, and Boston Legacy. Dallas-based Arctos Partners, a multi-billion-dollar fundโฃ with holdings in MLB teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros, and NBA teams โขincluding theโข Golden State Warriors, sacramento Kings,โข and Utah Jazz, ownsโข minority stakes in the Portland Thorns and Utah Royals. Ariel Investmentsโ launched Project Level, a dedicated women’s sports fund, and invested in the Denver franchise in February.
“The checks are smaller and the fundraising is more approachable,” Eisler explained. “It’s why funds like Monarchs and Ariels โcan be โso nimble; they don’t need to raise $3 billion โขto participate.” โ
The league’s new rolling bidding process is โคexpected to attract even more investors as new franchises join the NWSL. Eisler emphasizes that much of the investment is “mission-driven,” with investors believing in the future ofโข women’s sports and seeking to support its growth.
“They’re seeking returns,โ but they also want to helpโ shape the โคleague’s growth, bringing their expertise and resources to accelerate that growth while benefiting from it,” Eisler said. “These funds recognise that women’s sports are different from men’s, โคfrom the fan base to spending habits, and they see tremendous upside ahead.”
