Angel City
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly have become investors in the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Angel City.
Confirmed:
- National Football League (NFL) star’s four daughters also join the LA-based team’s investor group
- Angel City were recently valued by Sportico at US$100 million
Context:
The Stafford family joins Angel City’s broad roster of athlete investors that includes Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Candace Parker, US Soccer legends Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, as well as tennis icon Billie Jean King. Hollywood actors Natalie Portman, Gabrielle Union, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Garner are all also minority owners. Alexis Ohanian, Reddit founder and the husband of Serena Williams, is a leading backer of the team established by Julie Uhrman.
Comment:
“It makes a huge statement that an LA sports icon and Super Bowl champion Rams quarterback and his family believe in what we are building at Angel City,” said Uhrman, Angel City co-founder and president.
“Kelly is a huge champion of women and, from the moment they attended our Mother’s Day match last year, they have been such great supporters of the club. I’m beyond excited to officially have them join our family.”
Coming next:
The arrival of Stafford speaks to the growing commercial appeal of the NWSL as the league eyes the addition of expansion franchises in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston and Utah, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).