Angel City FC is the most valuable team in the NWSL

The GIST: For the first time ever, the NWSL publicly released valuations for its 12 clubs, which average out at $66M. Angel City FC tops the list at $180M, likely making it the highest-valued professional women’s sports team in the world, while the Chicago Red Stars fall last at $40M. Greed is good, but growth is better.

The leaders: NWSL newbies aren’t exactly noobs. The two franchises at the top of the valuation rankings — Angel City and San Diego Wave FC — are also the league’s newest expansion teams. Angel City has raked in the most revenue in 2023 so far ($31M), while San Diego brought in $16.3M.

The context: According to NWSL CMO Julie Haddon, the release of NWSL valuations is another example of the league’s ongoing commitment to radical transparency: they’re growing, they’re valuable, and everyone wants in. The league should make about $112M in revenue this year, showing the world that now is the time to buy into women’s soccer.

• Speaking of buyers, the NWSL is currently exploring new media rights deals, with commissioner Jessica Berman expecting one in place by EOY. Plus, the Portland Thorns and OL Reign are currently for sale. The league knows its value, but now, so does everyone else.

The future: The NWSL may have kicked off a mere 10 years ago, but it’s had the benefit of learning from the missteps of previous pro women’s soccer leagues. And no one has executed a growth-oriented mindset quite like Angel City, whose unique community-centric growth model uplifts the entire league and could be key to realizing its dream as the first pro women’s billion-dollar club. ¡Volemos!