Gotham FC gets $100 million in capital funding to reportedly become most-valued pro womens soccer franchise

Gotham FC is raking in the big bucks after establishing itself as one of the NWSL’s top clubs. With the NWSL playoffs starting this weekend, Gotham has raised $100 million in capital funding thanks to seven new minority investors, the club announced Friday. The club’s funding frenzy was in part to “accelerate its growth through continued investment in players, infrastructure and fan experiences,” Gotham said in a statement. The investor group, led by the Moelis family, also consists of T.Rowe Price chief investment officer David Giroux and JBK Partners managing partner Anne Welsh McNulty. Additionally, Gotham lead owner Carolyn Tisch Blodget and existing club investor Jennifer Mackesy added significant contributions. Although Gotham itself has not disclosed details of the investment, Forbes reported that the deal now values the club at $350 million, which would be a record valuation for a professional women’s soccer team, beating out the publication’s $340 million estimate of Angel City FC. “When we became owners of Gotham FC three years ago, we saw an opportunity to build something truly special — not just a successful soccer club, but a franchise that could help redefine what’s possible in women’s sports,” Tisch Blodgett, whose family also owns the Giants, said in the statement.

“We’ve made extraordinary progress in a short period of time, but in many ways, we’re just getting started. “We want to build a club that competes with the best in the world, attracts top talent, and creates a passionate fan base.” The massive campaign comes as Gotham constructs a new practice facility in Whippany, N.J., and prepares for its 2028 move to Etihad Park, which is under construction in Queens’ Flushing Meadows. Gotham, which secured their first NWSL Shield on Sunday with a win over the Utah Royals, is set to face off against Seattle Reign FC in the playoffs quarterfinal....