The National Women's Soccer League awarded expansion franchises to Columbus and Atlanta, with Columbus paying $205 million for the slot—a league record and roughly triple the $53 million fee paid by San Francisco in 2023. Atlanta's fee was not disclosed. Both teams begin play in 2026, bringing the league to 16 clubs.
Columbus owner Dee Haslam, who co-owns the NFL's Cleveland Browns, secured the franchise through a bidding process that concluded in December. The team will play at Lower.com Field, the downtown stadium shared with MLS's Columbus Crew, which seats 20,000. Atlanta's ownership group includes Anheuser-Busch heir Billy Busch and private equity executive Daniel Belldegrun; the team will use Mercedes-Benz Stadium, though capacity configuration has not been announced. Both markets were finalists in the league's 2023 expansion round, which went to Boston.
The fee gap between San Francisco's $53 million and Columbus's $205 million reflects two shifts. First, the NWSL's broadcast deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and Scripps runs through 2027, with renewal negotiations expected to open in early 2026. Sponsors and team operators are modeling a 3x to 4x increase in rights fees, based on WNBA's recent $2.2 billion deal and women's soccer's overperformance in streaming metrics. Second, private equity interest has intensified: Sixth Street Partners, Carlyle Group, and Arctos all hold minority stakes in multiple clubs. Columbus's price is not an outlier; it is a clearing rate for buyers who believe the league's next media cycle will validate franchise values north of $300 million.
The Atlanta award is worth watching for stadium economics. Mercedes-Benz Stadium seats 42,500 in soccer configuration; if Atlanta draws even 18,000 per match, it will immediately rank in the league's top three for attendance, behind Portland and Kansas City. That scale attracts sponsors unwilling to commit to 10,000-seat markets. Anheuser-Busch's involvement also signals potential jersey or pouring-rights deals that could flow league-wide if Atlanta hits revenue targets.
Columbus presents a different signal: vertical integration with MLS. Lower.com Field's year-round activation gives the NWSL tenant access to the Crew's ticketing infrastructure, corporate suites, and youth academies. If the model works, expect MLS ownership groups in Charlotte, St. Louis, and Nashville to re-enter NWSL expansion discussions when the league opens its next round, likely in late 2025.
The league's collective bargaining agreement expires in January 2027, six months before the new media deal would take effect. Player agents are already positioning for a minimum salary increase from the current $35,000 to at least $55,000, citing expansion fees as proof of rising franchise values. The union's negotiating committee includes two players from teams that joined in 2021 and 2022, when fees were under $5 million. The math is not subtle.
Atlanta's first general manager hire is expected in Q2 2025; Columbus has already begun discussions with former U.S. national team goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, who lives in the market, for a front-office role. Both teams will participate in the 2025 NWSL Draft expansion pool, likely in November, eight months before their inaugural seasons.
The next expansion window opens after the 2026 season, when the league will have full-year financials for Columbus and Atlanta. Cincinnati, Austin, and Detroit remain active bidders. The floor is now $200 million.
The takeaway
Columbus's **$205M** fee sets the NWSL expansion floor at institutional-capital levels, pricing out non-integrated bids ahead of 2026 media talks.
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