Big bucks are shifting hands in the sports world today as the Seattle Reign FC, a key player in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), is on the verge of being snagged up by a group that includes none other than Major League Soccer's very own Seattle Sounders. The tag for the women's soccer franchise? A cool $58 million, says OL Groupe, which has been calling the shots at Reign since scooping it up for a mere $3.5 million back in 2019. But before soccer fans start singing victory songs, the MLS and NWSL's board of governors still have to give their thumbs up, as reported by The Athletic.
OL Groupe, the French powerhouse behind seven-time French champion Lyon, appears to be kicking their women's soccer interests to the curb, choosing instead to put more muscle behind the men's game. It might raise a few eyebrows, given the Reign's storied run, but OL's head honchos are convinced the sale is a slam dunk, ensuring "a locally-led group will continue OL Groupe's successful development of the Seattle franchise," as quoted in a statement snagged by Lancaster Online. And as the Sounders step into the leadership role, they're obviously playing for keeps, aiming to bolster Seattle's soccer scene on all fronts.
Let's talk numbers. OL Groupe is handing over the keys to the castle—or, more precisely, their 97% stake in the Reign. If you're doing the math, that values the whole nine yards of the club at about $58 million. Not too shabby considering the original price tag just five years ago was significantly less than one-tenth of that figure. The sale is part of a strategic play by OL Groupe to shift its focus squarely onto the men’s game, and they've been quite vocal about this direction. Apparently, the balance sheets are just as important as the scoreboards in this game. The details of this transaction were dribbled out by ESPN.
For those keeping track of the players off the field, OL Groupe has been cozying up with Eagle Football Holdings, led by the one and only American businessman John Textor. Since December 2022, their team-up has been making moves across the pond, with finger in pies that represent football squads from Brazil’s Botafogo to Belgium's RWD Molenbeek, and even the English Premier League's Crystal Palace. It seems like the sporting world is their oyster. Seeing the sale of the Reign as part of this refocusing act, OL Groupe looks set to pump up their men's teams while Sounders and Carlyle get the ball on the women’s side, as reported by ESPN.
So as the ink dries on this near $58 million sale, all eyes are on the NWSL and MLS muckety-mucks to put their stamp of approval on the deal. Soon enough, we'll see if this merger nets Seattle a soccer legacy that spans both the men's and women's leagues—scoring goals on the pitch and in the finance department.
