NFL player Bryce Young is investing in women’s sports.
According to KGW8, the Carolina Panthers quarterback has joined the Portland Thorns ownership group.
The women’s soccer team’s controlling owners are Lisa Bhathal Merage and her brother Alex Bhathal, who manage it through their investment firm RAJ Sports.
“Supporting women’s sports is extremely important to my family and I,” said Young in a press release, per KGW8. “I am thankful to the Bhathal family for the opportunity and look forward to being a passionate supporter of this club.”
Other Portland Thorns investors include two-time U.S. decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton, former NFL quarterback Joey Harrington, and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
“We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished group of athletes into the Thorns investor group,” Bhathal Merage said. “This is truly a group of champions, both in their respective sports, and as leaders in the Portland community. We are excited and honored to access their talents, insights and passion as we continue the work needed to build the best women’s soccer club in the world.”
It’s becoming increasingly common for athletes to invest in sports outside their own. For example, NFL Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and professional tennis player Naomi Osaka both invested in pickleball. LeBron James is involved Fenway Sports Group as an investor. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he purchased 2% stake in Liverpool Football Club (Liverpool) for $6.5 million in 2011 with the assistance of his business partner Maverick Carter.
Most recently, Tim Howard, a former U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) goalkeeper, has leaned into team ownership. He is among the Houston Dynamo FC’s ownership group and has a minority stake in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Houston Dash.
“We are proud to welcome Tim Howard to our ownership group at the Houston Dash and Houston Dynamo,” Dynamo majority owner Ted Segal said in a news release, according to ESPN. “His wealth of experience across soccer, both as a player at the highest levels and subsequently as a sporting director and media analyst, will be invaluable within ownership as we continue to build a competitive and successful organization. Moreover, Tim’s commitment to using his unique platform to positively impact communities in need aligns with the values of our organization.”
