- A group of local Seattle celebrities, investors, and executives have bought a major stake in the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders
A group of celebrities, investors, and executives local to the Seattle area have bought a stake in the Major League Soccer team Seattle Sounders, according to Bloomberg. The investors include Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his singer wife Ciara, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood and her husband, and the rapper Macklemore. The deal closed on July 31 and the terms were undisclosed.
This notable group was put together by Terry Myerson — who is the former head of Microsoft Windows and is now a venture capitalist at Madrona Venture Group. Myerson started working on this deal last year and put it together with Seattle Mariners owner and Microsoft board member John Stanton. Stanton had connected Myerson to Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer.
When Hanauer told Myerson that a group of investors in California were looking to buy Roth’s stake to take control of the team, Myerson jumped into action and put together a local group with support from Nadella.
“My family loves the Sounders and couldn’t imagine them being owned outside Seattle,” said Myerson via Bloomberg.
Joe Belfiore (Microsoft executive), Brian McAndrews (former Pandora CEO), Mark Agne (SoftBank Investment Advisors partner), Soma Somasegar (Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group), and David Nathanson (former head of operations and FOX Sports Media Group) are also part of the investment group. These investors are joining existing owners Hanauer, Vulcan Sports & Entertainment (the investment vehicle of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen) and comedian Drew Carey as owners in the sports team.
The stake is being purchased from Hollywood producer and former 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios chairman Joe Roth. Roth has been the majority owner of the team from 2007 to 2015 and will continue to retain a stake.
The Sounders are ranked in second place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference and the team has a dedicated fan base. This year, the Sounders were ranked second in attendance and the team is valued at $310 million according to Forbes.
