Angel City FC is now the most valuable women’s sports team in the world following an agreement by Willow Bay and Bob Iger to purchase a controlling stake in the National Women’s Soccer League franchise at a $250 million valuation.
Bay, the dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and Iger, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, will become the new majority owners of the Los Angeles-based club, pending league approval and the closing of the transaction.
“I can’t imagine a more exciting time in women’s sports,” Bay told ESPN. “It’s actually an historic moment in sports and an historic moment for women’s sports. It’s just breathtaking and it’s only the beginning of the ascent. I think to be part of the team, to be part of the future trajectory of this team, this sport and women’s sports, is incredibly exciting.”
Bay and Iger, who are married, will invest an additional $50 million into the club.
Their investment makes them the new controlling owners of Angel City, joining an ownership group that is otherwise unchanged.
The Walt Disney Company is the majority owner of ESPN.
Bay “will serve on and have full control of” Angel City’s board, according to the team, and she will also represent Angel City on the NWSL’s board of governors.
