Angel City Football Club’s ownership group is reportedly close to a new look as Disney CEO Bob Iger and wife Willow Bay are close to purchasing control of the club.
The news was first reported by Puck’s Dylan Byers and Semafor.
Iger and Bay, the dean of the USC Annenberg School, were in attendance at Angel City FC’s 3-0 loss to the Orlando Pride on Sunday and were shown on the video screen.
According to Semafor, Angel City’s current valuation is an NWSL record $250 million. The investment by the Bay-Iger group would be more than $50 million, which would replace Alexis Ohanian as the team’s controlling stakeholder. Although Ohanian is the largest shareholder, he does not have board control.
In March, it was reported by Sportico that the Angel City, in its third season, had hired Moelis and Company to “manage a potential sale of a controlling stake,” adding that the investment bank had the “blessing” of the team’s four primary owners – Ohanian, Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman and Natalie Portman – to sell a stake that would grant a buyer board control.
As part of “The Pitch Deck,” obtained by Semafor, the Bay-Iger Group laid out its plans for Angel City. Some of the points are accelerating growth of the team and its league; strengthening ACFC’s position as a pre-eminent brand in women’s sports; delivering sustainable profits; advancing equity for women athletes and women-owned businesses; and optimizing the unique impact of women athletes and the value of women’s sports fans.
Last season, Sportico valued Angel City at $180 million, the highest in the NWSL.
Earlier this season, San Diego Wave FC, which joined the league at the same time as ACFC in 2022, sold for a league-record $113 million to Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, managers of the Levine Leichtman Capital Partners investment firm.
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Earlier this year, the private equity firm Carlyle Group, along with Seattle Sounders FC, agreed a 97% stake in Seattle Reign FC for $58 million. Less than five years ago, the franchise sold for about $3.5 million.
While Angel City’s valuation has continued to rise, the play on the field hasn’t been up to that level. Angel City is currently in 11th place in the 14-team league with 11 games remaining.
Nortman, Portman and Uhrman are the three co-founding partners. The ownership group also includes several smaller investors, including celebrities and athletes.