Seemingly everywhere you look these days, you will find a celebrity that is at least partially involved with U.K. football clubs. Tom Brady and Birmingham City are certainly a notable pair. Rob McElhenny of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fame and Ryan Reynolds have been highly visible as owners of Wrexham A.F.C.
With more and more celebrities joining the fray, one question arises: Why are American (and Canadian- sorry, Mr. Reynolds) celebrities buying shares or outright ownership of U.K. football clubs? According to Mike Blood, a renowned lawyer involved in acquiring several high-profile sports clubs, the answer comes down to one word: Access.
The List of Celebrities Who Own Stakes in U.K. Football Clubs
This list would have been quite short as recently as a few years ago. But major celebrities have since become involved, increasing the interest of other celebrities. Here are some of the most notable celebrities with ownership stakes in U.K. football clubs.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny – Wrexham A.F.C.
Easily the most visible part of the list. Wallowing in England’s fifth division for nearly two decades, the duo revived the franchise and created a blueprint for how celebrities can run a U.K. football club. They’ve since earned a promotion to the English Football League, plus the popular Welcome to Wrexham has become a hit on Disney+.
Tom Brady
How do you become more visible when considering the G.O.A.T. of American football? By investing in Birmingham City. Brady is a minority owner, but his profile alone adds to the team. Birmingham City stadium’s capacity is only 29.000, much less than Tom was used to playing in the NFL. And probably, during his college years, Tom played in even bigger stadiums, as N.C.A.A. stadiums are normally even bigger. You can learn more about this here.
Nonetheless, Tom has shown enough interest to think that he will be hands-on now that he is retired. Birmingham City is playing in the second division of England and facing a relegation battle after a disastrous coaching spell from soccer legend Wayne Rooney, who was fired last month. Tony Mowbray was appointed their new manager in early January 2024.
JJ Watt
Before Brady, Watt was the first former N.F.L. player to invest in a club in the U.K. J.J. and his wife invested in Burnley, who was (and still is) coached by former Premier League legend Vincent Kompany.
And it took only one season for J.J. to see his team get promoted to the top flight of English football. The ‘Clarets,’ however, might need a miracle to keep their place in the top tier, as they only have 12 points in the first half of the season, so J.J. might need to invest more if he wants to see Burnley competing for European football places.
LeBron James
Though “King James” continues to dominate the court, he is one of the owners on this list that has flown under the radar. He purchased a 2% stake in Liverpool, a Premier League staple, in 2011. That $6.5 million stake is now reportedly worth 12x that amount, a solid investment for a minority owner that is so hands-off.
Michael B. Jordan
The actor of Creed fame became part owner after a US-based investment group he is a part of purchased A.F.C. Bournemouth. He has since made his face known at Bournemouth games, undoubtedly boosting his profile.
The list of names should be shorter to cover in one space. It includes actors like Will Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey, Natalie Portman, Drew Carey, and sports stars Louis Tomlinson and Patrick Mahomes.
Even other soccer legends like David Beckham have gotten involved with ownership of U.K. football teams in some way.
Why Invest in U.K. Football Clubs?
At the top of the list is one simple fact: Most people hope to own a sports team one day. American sports franchises can be worth billions of dollars, if not more, which puts them out of reach of even the most elite in Hollywood.
According to Forbes, just eight of the 50 most valuable sports franchises are English football clubs. Getting in the door, whether with a majority or minority stake, is much more affordable for celebrities.
There is also the media aspect. With the popularity of Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso, clubs have the potential to create a Cinderella story. Teams get promoted and relegated all the time, creating built-in storylines.
It is hard to ignore the financial aspect. Look at James’ investment in Liverpool. While not all investments payout that way, getting in on the ground floor is an excellent chance to make multiples of that investment back.
Finally, there is the potential growth. Reynolds and McElhenny are the best examples of what smart ownership can do to a franchise. More attention and better performance on the field can equate to a major boost in value.
The Burgeoning American Market
Though football is popular worldwide, penetrating the American market has always been challenging. Americans have largely been apathetic to the game, but there are signs that football is growing in the land where the term “football” has nothing to do with a black-and-white ball.
Lionel Messi has taken the M.L.S. by storm. He was an instant hit, cementing his status as a real draw and an all-time great. The M.L.S. itself garnered tremendous growth. With visible American celebrities at the helm, the hope is that it could draw more attention to the game.
Conclusion
The list of celebrity owners continues to grow, so this does not seem like a fad. U.K. football clubs are some of the biggest sports franchises in the world, so owning one offers the potential for a major financial boon and some additional spotlight. Who will join the list next?
