Willow Bay and Bob Iger are officially the controlling owners of Angel City Football Club, the franchise announced Thursday, completing a transaction that values ACFC at $250 million.
The deal, which includes an additional $50 million invested in the team’s “operations and growth goals,” represents the highest ever valuation of a women’s professional sports team.
Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, will become the team’s primary governor with board control. Iger, currently the Disney CEO, and Bay married in 1995.
“As fans since the club’s founding season, we have long admired ACFC’s impact as a sports franchise and a force for social good, particularly here in our Los Angeles community,” Bay said in a statement. “I look forward to working closely with the team, NWSL‘s Board of Governors, the incredible players and the passionate supporters to drive innovation, foster growth and uphold the club’s commitment to equity and impact.”
The NWSL Board of Governors unanimously approved the sale. ACFC was founded in 2020 by Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman. Alexis Ohanian was the team’s largest stakeholder prior to the latest transaction.
Last year, Angel City posted $31 million in revenue by Sportico’s calculations, nearly double that of the next closest team (San Diego).
Portman, Uhrman and Ohanian will continue serving on the board, along with early investor Gillian Berry, the team previously announced. More than 100 investors remain in the overall ownership group, including the likes of Billie Jean King, Eva Longoria and Mia Hamm.