Angel City FC to Become World’s Most Valuable Pro Women’s Sports Team
Angel City FC is now valued at $250 Million as Bob Iger and Willow Bay take control.
Angel City FC is getting a major boost thanks to Willow Bay and her husband and Disney CEO, Bob Iger. On Wednesday, it was announced that Iger and Bay will become the new controlling owners of the Los Angeles-based women’s soccer team.
With the deal, Angel City FC becomes the most valuable women’s sports team in the world, valuing at $250 million. Bay and Iger will invest an additional $50 million into the team.
Bay will serve on and have full control of the ACFC Board of Directors, serve as the Controlling Owner for National Women’s Soccer League, LLC (NWSL) purposes and will represent ACFC on the NWSL’s Board of Governors.
The move is a step in the right direction as women’s sports continues to break now ground across leagues. With this type of investment, the goal is to accelerate the growth of the club and the NWSL.
“This investment reflects the strong interest and passion in women’s sports overall, especially in women’s soccer,” Birdies CEO and co-founder, Bianca Gates, told FN. “It also speaks to the strength of the ACFC leadership team, especially Julie Uhrman who had the vision for this franchise from the beginning. Birdies is a proud founding sponsor of ACFC and I am proud of being an early investor as well. It’s great to see that large investors like Bob Iger and Willow Bay have also recognized the opportunity and I am excited for what’s ahead, together.”
ACFC was founded in 2020 by Oscar-winning actor Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist Kara Nortman, media entrepreneur Uhrman and venture capitalist Alexis Ohanian. Other investors include Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, WNBA legend Candace Parker and her daughter Lailaa, 13 former players from the United States Women’s National Team including Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Lauren Cheney Holiday and Abby Wambach, Olympic gold medalist and alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn, USMNT and MLS legend Cobi Jones, Latin pop superstar Becky G, actors Uzo Aduba, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria and Lilly Singh, author and activist Glennon Doyle, current and former NFL players Matthew Stafford and Ryan Kalil, and entertainment executive Cindy Holland. Ohanian was the club’s founding controlling owner.
The soccer team formed in a non-traditional sense as the owners focused on a mission-first mindset, with women at the helm. “The idea behind Angel City was not just about building a sports club and having a positive impact in L.A., but also to strive for equity for these female athletes, pay them what they deserve and draw attention and awareness for this incredible sport,” Uhrman told FN when the team first launched.
On the corporate side, Angel City is supported by Klarna, Door Dash and Gatorade, as well as women-led shoe brand Birdies, along with Pacsun and others.
“As sports are a core pillar of Pacsun’s brand mission, this landmark deal reinforces our commitment to spotlighting women’s achievements, by elevating female athletes on a global stage, inspiring the next generation of female athletes,” Brieane Olson, CEO at Pacsun, said. “We believe this will bring a wider audience for women’s soccer and opportunities to grow its impact across the country.”