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New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
How American billionaires, Ryan Reynolds, LeBron James and Tom Brady have upended English soccer
The Americans are coming — and they're buying up England's football clubs. This past season, the top three leagues were all won by clubs backed by US money. Currently, twelve of the twenty teams in England's Premier League, the top division and the most watched sports league in the world, are wholly or partially owned by US investors — among them notable celebrities such as actors Michael B. Jordan and Will Ferrell, NFL star J.J. Watt and basketball great LeBron James. The lower divisions are also dominated by American money and bold-facers such as Tom Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. There's an 'American-led revolution' in English football, Kieran Maguire, author of 'The Price of Football' and co-host of the podcast of the same name, told The Post of all the US investment. 'It's a bit like crypto. There's a fear of missing out.' Advertisement 12 Actor Michael B. Jordan (left) owns a stake in AFC Bournemouth. Here, he poses with the team's striker, Dominic Solanke. Getty Images 12 Will Ferrell (second from left) attends a Leeds United game. Ferrell is one of several American celebs who have a stake in the club. Getty Images The invasion comes as the US's presence in the international soccer world expands, and Americans have a growing, seemingly insatiable interest in the sport. Advertisement Starting Sunday, the US is hosting the FIFA Club World 32-team tournament will feature two English club teams — Manchester City and Chelsea. The latter was purchased in 2022 by an American consortium led by billionaire Todd Boehly, who co-owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2026, the US will jointly host the World Cup, along with Canada and Mexico. For American celebrities and businessmen, buying a British club team is a relatively affordable way to get a piece of the action — and potentially far more fun than adding yet another multi-million dollar home to their real estate profile. 'English football is an assault on all the senses simultaneously, especially for Americans who are thirsting for ever more unique experiences,' said Tom Wagner, the co-founder of the US-based Knighthead Capital Management, which took over the Birmingham City team in July 2023. 12 When England's season came to a close earlier this spring, the top three leagues were all won by teams backed by US money. Birmingham City (pictured), whose backers include Tom Brady, won the third-tier championship. Getty Images Advertisement The Yankee teams are certainly having a good run. Liverpool — owned by the Boston-based Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which counts James as a stakeholder and also owns the Red Sox — won the Premier League championship at the end of April. 12 Liverpool, which counts LeBron James as an investor, won the Premier League. Getty Images Leeds United, which is owned by California-based 49ers Enterprises — whose investors include Will Ferrell, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and golfer Jordan Spieth — won the second tier Championship in early May and has been promoted to the Premier League. Advertisement In early April, Birmingham City, whose backers include Brady, won the third-tier championship, just beating out Wrexham — which is owned by Reynolds and McElhenney — for the top prize. Both teams have been promoted to the second tier. The actor buddies bought Wrexham for just $2.5 million in 2021. At that point, the club languished in the fifth tier, but after a 'Ted Lasso'-esque arc and three promotions, the team is now just one step away from the Premier League and reportedly valued at up to $400 million. 12 Under Rob McElhenney (left) and Ryan Reynolds, the once struggling Wrexham team has experienced a remarkable rise. Action Images via Reuters The team's rise under Reynolds and McElhenney has been documented in four seasons of the Disney+ show 'Welcome to Wrexham,' making it a cross-promotional bonanza that others can only dream of. 'These guys are professional storytellers with tens of millions of social media followers and a spectacular acumen for promoting a brand and creating value in storylines,' said Wagner. Even without Wrexham's Cinderella story, celeb buy-ins can make for great promotion for both sides. 12 Part of the appeal of English soccer clubs to investors is the unique fan culture. Getty Images For stars, it's 'an opportunity to grow their personal brands outside the US and the same thing works in reverse, as the key international market for English clubs at the moment is the US,' Andrew Umbers, a partner at Oakwell Sports Advisory in London, told the New York Times. 'So, if you can bring in an American superstar like LeBron James or Tom Brady, who can give you massive reach in the US for a small amount of equity, why wouldn't you?' Advertisement Brady hasn't just lent his fame to Birmingham, he's also given the team practical advice on nutrition, recovery and creating a winning culture. 'There's not a day goes by when I don't speak to Tom about Birmingham City,' said Wagner. 'His engagement is invaluable.' 12 Tom Brady (left, with David Beckham) has been keenly involved with the Birmingham team, offering up nutrition and training advice. Getty Images Buying an English club, or a stake in one, for a mere seven-digit number is also far more accessible that prohibitively expensive US sports franchises. Advertisement 'In the recent Forbes valuations, you were looking at around 10 to 15 billion dollars to buy an NFL franchise, and even teams in Major League Soccer were valued at over $1 billion,' said Maguire, a football finance expert. In 2017, Michael Eisner's Tornante Company bought Portsmouth, which is stationed on England's south coast and plays in the second tier, for a mere $7 million. It was a 'great club that needed direction' and wasn't 'catastrophically overpriced like 90% of sports clubs around the world,' Eisner told The Post. The former chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, he's also invested in NHL and MLB teams. 12 LeBron James watches a Liverpool match. He's a stakeholder in the team, which recently won the Premier League Championship. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement But not everyone is thrilled with American involvement, and in some cases, Maguire noted, 'The clubs' loyal local supporters may not like it.' The fervent fans of Manchester United have spent two decades at loggerheads with the Glazer family, an American dynasty that made its money in shopping malls and also owns the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detractors allege that the Glazers have saddled the once debt-free club with liabilities — over $1 billion according to some reports — while paying themselves handsomely and neglecting the team and its crumbling Old Trafford stadium. The Glazers rarely attend matches, and United had its worst season ever this year, finishing in 15th place. Advertisement 12 Some fans haven't loved what Avram Glazer (left, with Manchester United CEO Omar Berrada) and his family have done with Manchester United. AFP via Getty Images 'There's no doubt that the Glazers … aren't really football fans,' Maguire said. 'What they are is fans of money and that's always their focus.' When they bought United in 2005, it was worth an estimated $1.5 billion. Last month, Forbes ranked it the world's second most valuable football club, at $6.6 billion. Under the Glazers, the club's revenue has quadrupled, to roughly $900 million for the 2024-2025 season, according to projections. Compared to the Glazers, Wagner has strived to be a different sort of mogul on the pitch. After Knighthead took over Birmingham City in July 2023, the American financier immersed himself in the English game. 12 Billionaire Tom Wagner strives to be an involved owner. Getty Images When the team was relegated from the Premier League to the second tier after his first season, Wagner stood at his seat talking to fans about his plans to return the club to former glories. 'I wanted them to know I was hurting as much as them and that we understood the responsibility to make it right,' he said. Wagner insists the Knighthead ownership group attend away matches not in hospitality suites but with traveling supporters in the stands. 'It means engaging with fans, cheering with them, going through all the joys and sorrows,' he said.'That means buying a round of pints and talking at the bar.' The American celebrity invasion isn't limited to England. 12 Eva Longoria (with husband José Bastón) is an investor in Mexico's Club Necaxa. Getty Images Actors Eva Longoria and Kate Upton are investors in Mexico's Club Necaxa, while talk show hosts Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa have shares in Italian team Campobasso. Basketball star Kevin Durant has acquired a stake in the reigning European Champions, Paris Saint-Germain. Two years ago, JP Morgan was set to fund a $4.2 billion European Super League, where 12 of the continent's top teams would form a breakaway competition. The idea was met with huge backlash from fans and even Prince William weighed in, warning that it could 'damage the game we love.' The idea was shelved and the US banking behemoth issued a surprising apology. But, the Yanks continue to advance on English turf. 12 Kate Upton also has a stake in Mexico's Club Necaxa. Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA If just two more clubs in the Premier League succumb to US investment, it would mean the Americans have the 14 votes needed to pass any vote and potentially change the league in dramatic ways, such as staging games stateside. 'While American-led attempts to change the Premier League have been foiled, it's unlikely such ideas have gone away for good,' Maguire said. 'It's not over yet.'
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘Absolutely disgraceful' – Todd Boehly's company selling Europa League final tickets for £23,000 EACH sparking fury
EUROPA LEAGUE final tickets are being flogged for £23,000 on Vivid Seats - a company part-owned by Chelsea's Todd Boehly. Manchester United and Tottenham are preparing to do battle in the Bilbao showpiece on May 21. Advertisement 3 Todd Boehly is a director for Vivid Seats, a ticket resale website Credit: Alamy 3 Single tickets available on the site are going for £23,000 ahead of the match in Bilbao Credit: Alamy 3 Manchester United are preparing to take on Spurs, with 15,000 tickets given to each club Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The San Mames Stadium has a capacity of just over 53,000. Both United and Spurs have been allocated 15,000 seats each, with the most affordable tickets starting at £34 thanks to Uefa's 'Fans First' scheme. Tickets for the general public are split into three categories, with the face value prices between £55 and £204. But tickets currently on sale on Vivid Seats - part-owned by Boehly - are available for eye-watering sums a week before kickoff. Advertisement READ MORE ON FOOTBALL FOREST SHOCK Awoniyi 'in induced coma after abdominal injury that could've been fatal' 'Prime seats' situated along the halfway line are listed on the site for £22,738 each, per The Price of Football. Other options are available, with some tickets on sale in Category 1 for up to £17,054. Furious fans were quick to slam the prices, with one writing on X: "Everything wrong with top level football right there." Another said: "Unfortunately this is where the tourist league is going. Franchise soccer UK next." Advertisement BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK While a third fumed: "Why is this allowed. Absolute disgrace." And a fourth commented: "Shocked but not surprised." Todd Boehly gives major Chelsea stadium update and vows to leave Stamford Bridge SunSport has contacted Chelsea for comment. Advertisement American businessman Boehly became a minority owner at Chelsea in May 2022. The 51-year-old is a director and investor in Vivid Seats, a role recently described as a "conflict of interest" by the Chelsea Supporters Trust. Vivid Seats, which has its base in Chicago, is legally allowed to operate overseas but is prohibited for use by UK users. Boehly's Eldridge Industries owns 41 percent of the ticket resale site, according to IQ. Advertisement In an open letter penned in March, the CST wrote to the Premier League and asked them to "act and investigate" in an effort to clamp down on ticket touting at Chelsea games. The letter read: "Many CST members are clearly infuriated by this connection and have written to us. "As a director of Chelsea FC and part-owner, Mr Boehly's connection with Vivid Seats is totally inappropriate and significantly undermines the efforts of Chelsea FC, the Premier League, and the Metropolitan Police to combat ticket touting. "Mr Boehly has been contacted directly by the CST and has been offered multiple opportunities to both publicly and privately address supporters' concerns. Advertisement "Neither Mr Boehly nor his representatives have, however, acted on these requests, and thousands of tickets remain for sale on the Vivid Seats website." A Uefa spokesperson told SunSport: "Uefa strongly urges fans not to purchase tickets on the secondary market. "Ticket sales to the general public and fans of the teams who have reached the finals are carried out exclusively by Uefa."
