Bob Iger and Willow Bay Invest Over $50 Million to Purchase Control of Angel City FC
Just one day after celebrating his 50th anniversary with The Walt Disney Company, Disney CEO Bob Iger will soon add football club owner to his resume.
According to a report from The Athletic, Iger and his wife, Willow Bay, are close to purchasing control of Angel City FC, one of the premiere teams in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Photo: Los Angeles Times
With the club currently valued at over $250 million, Iger and Bay will invest over $50 million to acquire a stake in the team from Alexis Ohanian. While Ohanian is the team’s largest shareholder, he does not control the board.
The Rest of the Ownership Group
Angel City FC has three co-cofounding partners — Nara Nortman, Natalie Portman, and Julie Uhrman. It also has dozens of celebrity investors, including Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, and former soccer stars Mia Hamm, Shannon Boxx, and Julie Foudy.
Image Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock
Uhman, who also serves as the team’s president, told The Athletic that the club would eventually be the first billion-dollar team in the NWSL.
Photo: Angel City FC
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to be the first women’s team to have a billion-dollar valuation in five years,” Uhrman said. “There’s no better investment today than women’s sports.”
Iger and Bay Had Competition
While Angel City led the NWSL in revenue last year ar $31 million, it also spent the most, which left the club years away from profitability.
Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images via The Hollywood Reporter
According to Semafor, investor Marc Lasry and Manchester United owner Avie Glazer also placed bids on Angel City. In the end, however, Iger and Bay “pitched their long-term commitment to the enterprise and building the brand in the long term.”
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