Why American billionaires are interested in acquiring British football clubs
In recent years, the number of U.S.-controlled Premier League clubs has steadily increased; Fenway Sports Group plans to sell a minority stake in Liverpool and is expected to achieve a high return on investment; An in-depth analysis of why football has become a very attractive asset class in the eyes of American investors. Swansea, Wales, February 24, 2026: Club co-owner Snoop Dogg (Snoop Dogg) before the English Championship match between Swansea City and Preston North End in Swansea City. com A walk around the grounds at the stadium. After the World Cup comes to an end, fans’ attention has turned to the new seasons of European football leagues. The English Premier League is the world's most popular football league. The new season will start on August 21, with defending champion Arsenal starting their journey to defend their title. Americans’ enthusiasm for the Premier League is not only reflected in viewership data and social media popularity, but also in the capital-level layout. For a long time, British football clubs have become popular targets in the eyes of the world's wealthy and institutional investors. The acquisition of Manchester United by the Glazer family in 2005 kicked off the entry of American capital into the Premier League. Today, 11 of the 20 Premier League teams are controlled by American capital. Looking at the lower levels of the British Football League system, many niche teams have also received investment from American celebrities. 2020, Ryan· Ziz and Rob McElhenney purchased the Welsh fifth-tier team Wrexham. This legendary experience was filmed into the documentary "Welcome to Wrexham" and was widely circulated; this year, rapper Snoop Dogg became a shareholder of the British Championship team Swansea City. Enthusiasm for American pop culture celebrities to join British football continues to grow. Wrexham, Wales, 26 April 2025. During the League One match between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic, team owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney held the trophy. 1. Operational inefficiency: leaving huge space for capital optimization In October 2010, Fenway Sports Group, run by John Henry, seized the opportunity and took over the Liverpool Football Club, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, for a low price of 300 million pounds. After nearly 16 years, the Boston-based sports group confirmed that it is negotiating with a consortium of investors led by British-Indian entrepreneur Amit Bhatia, and plans to sell a large minority stake in Liverpool. After the transaction is completed, Fenway will reap huge investment income. Market estimates put Liverpool's overall valuation at $60 billion. In the years since Fenway took over, Liverpool has returned to its peak, winning two Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy, and the team's value has skyrocketed. Many sports finance analysts told reporters that British and European football clubs generally have low operational efficiency, which has deeply attracted American business investors. Traditional football club operations prioritize fan experience, and most are in the red all year round. Maximizing revenue is rarely the business goal of British teams. According to Deloitte data, only 8 clubs in the Premier League achieved operating profits in the 2024/25 season, and the entire Premier League suffered a total pre-tax loss of 948 million pounds (equivalent to US$1.26 billion). Part of the loss is due to inefficient operation of revenue channels, which can be optimized and transformed by new investors. However, Deloitte also reminds investors that commercialization should not be overly aggressive, otherwise it will easily lead to resentment among fans. Deloitte wrote in its 2026 football industry finance report: "Dissatisfaction among top football circles continues to accumulate, and in the future more fans will choose to vote with their feet and no longer attend live games." However, league revenue growth does not mean that listed shareholders can earn huge profits. The stock prices of two listed clubs, Manchester United and Juventus, are typical evidence. Over the past five years, Manchester United's share price has risen only 30% and has never exceeded its 2018 high; Juventus's share price has plummeted nearly 70% in the same period. 2. Scarcity attribute: top football assets cannot be copied Scarcity creates value. There are only a few dozen of the world's top football giants, and the founding of most clubs can be traced back to the late 19th century. Amber Pinto, a partner at Pinto Capital, a sports investment institution, said in an interview: "Football clubs are scarce assets, and British clubs have a long history and are unique in their scarcity. Live sports events can hardly be replaced by artificial intelligence, and online methods cannot completely replicate the offline viewing experience."
In addition, excellent performance in the Premier League can bring extremely generous commercial returns. Streaming media platforms such as Prime are also getting in on the action. Premier League broadcast revenue is shared among the 20 teams: 50% is divided evenly among all teams, 25% is divided according to the final league ranking of the season, and the remaining 25% is divided according to the number of broadcast games for the team. According to Deloitte statistics, in the 2024-25 season, all Premier League teams will receive a total of more than 3.3 billion pounds in broadcast revenue, accounting for half of the total revenue of league teams. 3. The investment cycle logic of football acquisitions As with all assets, valuation is at the core of investing. Kieran Maguire, associate professor of football finance at Liverpool, believes that Liverpool can reach a valuation of US$60 billion, relying on its global influence and strong brand value. He said in an interview on Wednesday: "In the current market, US$60 billion is not a bubble premium. It just reflects the scarcity of top football clubs and the investment willingness of billionaires to deploy football assets." Pinto Capital said that the football acquisition market was hot in the past few years, but now the entire investment transaction cycle is maturing. The case of Ryan Reynolds investing in Wrexham is a benchmark for US capital to acquire niche British teams, and has also helped football become an independent and popular asset category. Pinto added: "Nowadays, the football M&A cycle is longer and the process is more complex. The UK has established a football industry regulatory agency for the first time, and a large number of professional institutions in the financial and media fields have entered the industry. Football has become an industry that can be exported to the world, and Wrexham is a typical example." The asset allocation of high-net-worth individuals is also more diversified. Years ago, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and fund managers would not allocate sports assets specifically; now, sports investment has become a regular alternative in wealth allocation.
In addition, excellent performance in the Premier League can bring extremely generous commercial returns. Streaming media platforms such as Prime are also getting in on the action. Premier League broadcast revenue is shared among the 20 teams: 50% is divided evenly among all teams, 25% is divided according to the final league ranking of the season, and the remaining 25% is divided according to the number of broadcast games for the team. According to Deloitte statistics, in the 2024-25 season, all Premier League teams will receive a total of more than 3.3 billion pounds in broadcast revenue, accounting for half of the total revenue of league teams. 3. The investment cycle logic of football acquisitions As with all assets, valuation is at the core of investing. Kieran Maguire, associate professor of football finance at Liverpool, believes that Liverpool can reach a valuation of US$60 billion, relying on its global influence and strong brand value. He said in an interview on Wednesday: "In the current market, US$60 billion is not a bubble premium. It just reflects the scarcity of top football clubs and the investment willingness of billionaires to deploy football assets." Pinto Capital said that the football acquisition market was hot in the past few years, but now the entire investment transaction cycle is maturing. The case of Ryan Reynolds investing in Wrexham is a benchmark for US capital to acquire niche British teams, and has also helped football become an independent and popular asset category. Pinto added: "Nowadays, the football M&A cycle is longer and the process is more complex. The UK has established a football industry regulatory agency for the first time, and a large number of professional institutions in the financial and media fields have entered the industry. Football has become an industry that can be exported to the world, and Wrexham is a typical example." The asset allocation of high-net-worth individuals is also more diversified. Years ago, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and fund managers would not allocate sports assets specifically; now, sports investment has become a regular alternative in wealth allocation.