How to score $200M: Angel City’s playbook for women’s soccer
Mar 26, 2024
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Join Kara Nortman, Julie Uhrman, and Natalie Portman as they share the groundbreaking strategies behind founding Angel City Football Club, revolutionizing women's soccer with a bold vision for equitable pay and community impact. Learn how they secured investments, built a diverse fan base, and inspired expansion in the industry, proving that women's sports can be a lucrative enterprise.
ACFC showcased the value of women's sports as a lucrative enterprise, emphasizing equitable pay and recognition across gender.
ACFC's success was fueled by engaging the community early on, building brand loyalty through grassroots fan involvement.
Deep dives
Championing Gender Equity in Sports Business
Angel City Football Club, founded by Cara Nordman, Julie Erman, and Natalie Portman, transforms women's sports business by showing its real value, not just as charity. Fueled by a desire to drive gender equity and create a powerful brand, ACFC became a case study in tapping underserved markets with a fresh perspective that led to innovation and success.
Struggles and Triumphs in Investor Relations
Facing 99 rejections from investors, ACFC's founders persisted, shifting their pitch to emphasize social impact and gender equity. With influential investors like Eva Longoria and Alexis Ohanian on board, ACFC defied expectations, outselling tickets and elevating women's professional soccer to unprecedented levels.
Community-Centric Approach to Building a Fan Base
ACFC's success lies in engaging their community early on, involving fans in decisions like colors and crest design. Hosting numerous events and watch parties, ACFC built brand loyalty, creating an emotional connection that transcends mere game results, showcasing their grassroots approach to fan-building.
Setting High Goals and Driving Growth
With a revenue growth surpassing investor projections and a vision to be the world's first billion-dollar women's sports franchise, ACFC aims for long-term success. By prioritizing community impact, brand loyalty, and continuous growth, ACFC sets a high standard for the future of women's sports.
The high-flying Angel City Football Club is rising to a historic valuation in professional women’s soccer, nearing $200 million. When the Los Angeles team started four years ago, franchises in its league went for as little as $2 million. Co-founders Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman reveal the game-changing strategies behind this seismic shift, created with a third co-founder, actor and activist Natalie Portman. The tale of ACFC holds valuable lessons, from harnessing an outsider's advantage to tapping an underserved market with fresh perspectives. Their bold vision: prove women's sports is a lucrative enterprise, champion equitable recognition and pay across gender, and craft an iconic brand fueling community impact. Kara and Julie’s big dreams, brilliant execution, and unstoppable determination have transformed an industry.