What San Diego Wave sale means for skyrocketing NWSL club valuations

Over a span of five days this month, two NWSL clubs were sold and a third began searching for additional investors, setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a record year for professional women’s soccer in the United States. It started with San Diego Wave FC when the team’s principal owner Ron Burkle agreed to sell the club at a total valuation of $120 million with an initial cash outlay of $113 million, nearly doubling the league’s previous record sale of $63 million for the Portland Thorns in January. “In the sports world, franchise valuation is one of the big metrics for where and how you measure the growth of the league,” said Pete Giorgio, who leads Deloitte’s global and U.S. sports practice. “You’re bringing in people who are serious about this, and you’re seeing a lot more investment going into these things and a lot more structure and operational and business prowess coming out of that, too.” This trajectory is why an unprecedented level of investment is being made in women’s sports, and why more record deals are likely on the horizon in the NWSL, especially with Angel City now involved in the potential market. “In the realm of football, acquiring a women’s club may currently prove to be a more financially lucrative investment than acquiring a men’s football club,” Sartori said.