After a lengthy process spanning over a year, the sale of Seattle Reign FC has been finalized, marking a new chapter for the team under a new ownership group. In an announcement made by OL Groupe (now Eagle Football Group) on Monday morning, it was revealed that Seattle Sounders FC and global investment firm Carlyle would jointly own and operate the Reign, bringing together Seattle’s premier professional soccer teams for the first time.
Under the new ownership structure, the Sounders will act as the Reign’s managing partner, with Adrian Hanauer, owner of Sounders FC, serving as the Reign representative on the NWSL Board of Governors. Alex Popov, the head of private credit at Carlyle, will serve as the alternate representative. Carlyle will hold the majority ownership stake in the team.
The involvement of the Sounders’ extensive ownership group, combined with Carlyle’s participation, as well as the logistical complexities of coordinating with the team’s previous owners located in another country, contributed to the delay in finalizing the sale. However, all necessary details have now been resolved, allowing the Reign to move forward under new ownership.
According to the press release issued by OL Groupe, the sale of the Reign amounted to $58 million, signifying a substantial increase from the club’s previous sale in December 2019. During that transaction, OL Groupe acquired an 89.5% ownership stake at a valuation of $3.51 million.
Former Reign majority owners Teresa Predmore and Bill Predmore retained a 7.5% stake, while Tony Parker purchased a 3% stake. The Predmores later sold their remaining stake for $2 million, while Parker’s ownership status remains unchanged. The specific financial contributions from each entity involved in the sale have not been disclosed.
This news follows a series of notable sales in the NWSL, including the Portland Thorns’ sale to RAJ Sports for $63 million, briefly setting a league record until the San Diego Wave’s sale to the Levine Leichtman family for $120 million in March. The Chicago Red Stars were sold for $36 million in September, with an additional $25.5 million investment pledged by the new owners. Moreover, Bay FC paid a $53 million expansion fee to join the league this year.
