Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman, and Julie Uhrman discuss building a successful women's soccer team for Angel City with diversity and relatability to the community. They aspire to create a global brand for women's soccer, promote teamwork and investments in women's sports, and embrace progress and challenges in gender equity work. The chapter also explores the competitive nature of women's soccer and the growth of Angel City.
Angel City FC is selling out stadiums in their second season, boosting the profile of the National Women's Soccer League and challenging gender stereotypes in professional sports.
Angel City FC aims to become a sustainable global brand by generating revenue through various streams like media rights, merchandising, and collaborations while empowering players and giving back to the community.
Deep dives
The Rise of Angel City FC: Transforming Women's Sports
Angel City FC, a women's pro soccer team, is making waves in the US sports industry. The team, founded by venture capitalist Karen Northman, entrepreneur Julie Erman, and actress Natalie Portman, aims to transform the economics of women's sports and build a new era of soccer fandom. They have sold out stadiums in just their second season and have hired star players, boosting the profile of the National Women's Soccer League. Angel City FC strives to provide value back to players and the community, with initiatives like sharing a percentage of jersey sales with players and sponsoring programs in the local community. The team's success is not only changing sports culture but also challenging gender stereotypes and inspiring young fans of all genders.
Driving Revenue and Equity in Women's Sports
Angel City FC is focused on becoming a sustainable business and breaking through glass ceilings in women's sports. By putting 'butts in seats,' they aim to generate revenue from various streams like media rights, merchandising, and sponsorships. The team's ownership group, composed of influential women, brings a different energy and purpose to the table, driving toward true equity in women's sports. Collaboration and collaboration with other ownership groups to share success and knowledge are key in fostering growth and innovation. Angel City FC's ambition is to become a global brand, drawing attention and sponsors, all while empowering players and giving back to the community.
The Power of Joyful Movements and Cultural Change
Angel City FC has harnessed the power of sports as a tool for cultural change. They have created a diverse and inclusive fanbase, reflecting the demographics of Los Angeles. Sports, particularly women's sports, provide a socially acceptable way for people from different backgrounds to come together and experience a sense of community and belonging. By celebrating the incredible athletes on the pitch, Angel City FC is challenging social norms and gender stereotypes, and driving positive change through joyful movements. They believe that joyful movements, combined with increased visibility, storytelling, and transparency, are key to accelerating the progress of gender equity and women's sports.
Challenges and Future Aspirations in Women's Soccer
While Angel City FC has achieved remarkable success within a short period, there are still challenges and aspirations for the team and women's soccer as a whole. Improving access to games and ensuring easy distribution and storytelling are crucial to attracting more fans and building a broader fan base. Increasing the number of teams in women's soccer is also important, as it allows fans to connect with their local team and players, creating a sense of community and belonging. The ultimate goal is to achieve recognition and equality for women's soccer, both on and off the field, by leveraging the growing demand for women's sports and driving more transparency and investment in the industry.
In this episode of The Circuit, Bloomberg’s Emily Chang sits down with Angel City FC’s three co-founders for their first-ever joint interview. Natalie Portman, Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman gathered a star-studded, mostly women-led investor group to launch the team back in 2019. Now in their second season, the team is already selling out stadiums, boosting the profile of the national league and changing the culture of professional sports.
