The owners of MLS’ Seattle Sounders and international investment firm Carlyle reached a deal to buy the Seattle Reign from France’s OL Groupe, the NWSL team announced Monday.
OL Groupe, with soccer holdings that include Olympique Lyonnais in France’s Ligue 1 and a minority stake in Crystal Palace of the English Premier League, said that it plans to sell all of its 97 percent interest in the Reign for $58 million.
OL Groupe acquired its shares of the NWSL team, then known as Reign FC, for $3.51 million in December 2019. The club was known as OL Reign from 2020-23 before it was rebranded as Seattle Reign FC this year.
The team played its home games from 2019-21 in Tacoma, Wash., before moving to Seattle, its former home, in 2022. The Reign currently share Lumen Field with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and the Sounders.
The potential subject must be approved by the NWSL and the MLS Board of Governors.
The Reign’s sale quickly follows the announced sale of two other NWSL teams.
The San Diego Wave are set to be sold to the Levine Leichtman family with the value of the club set at $113 million, Sportico reported last week. Billionaire Ron Burkle, the Wave’s current owner, paid a $2 million expansion fee to establish the franchise in 2022.
Also last week, Angel City FC hired a firm to facilitate the sale of the franchise, according to Sportico, which valued the team at $180 million, the top figure in the NWSL. However, Angel City, who also debuted in 2022, have yet to make a profit.
The Reign won their season opener 1-0 over the Washington Spirit on Sunday.
–Field Level Media
