Eni Aluko calls for ‘more PR’ around women’s soccer ROI

Former England international Eni Aluko believes there needs to be “more PR” around the benefits of investing in women’s soccer.

Aluko, who spent most of her career at Chelsea and played 105 times for the Lionesses, now serves as an investor and an adviser for Mercury/13, which has committed to spending US$100 million on women’s soccer clubs across Europe and Latin America.

The group, which was co-founded and is co-led by Victoire Cogevina Reynal and Mario Malavé, has so far invested in Serie A Femminile outfit Como Women, but has ambitions of adding to its portfolio.

There has been significant growth in the valuations of women’s soccer teams in recent years, which has been driven by rising fan interest and more lucrative media rights and sponsorship deals for some of the top domestic leagues.

In the US, National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) franchise Angel City were valued at a league-record figure of US$250 million last year, when a controlling stake in the team was sold to Willow Bay and her husband Bob Iger, who is chief executive of Disney. The team had paid a US$2 million expansion fee to join the league in 2020.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s women team was valued at nearly UK£200 million (US$266.9 million) when it was spun off by the club’s owners, although that transaction is reportedly yet to be approved by the Premier League.

Source: SportsPro.com