Haslam Sports Group closed Tuesday on the National Women's Soccer League's Columbus expansion franchise at a $205 million fee, league-record territory that puts the 18th club $40 million above what Atlanta's BZN paid in December. The announcement came at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field with commissioner Jessica Berman on site and Jimmy and Dee Haslam—who already own the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew—positioned as the controlling investors in a consortium that includes local business operators.
The Haslams inherit a market that fits their existing Ohio footprint but lacks the corporate density Atlanta brought. Columbus MSA corporate headquarters count sits near 30 compared to Atlanta's 90-plus, and the Columbus Crew averaged 20,854 MLS attendance in 2025 versus Atlanta United's 47,000-plus. The NWSL franchise will share Lower.com Field with the Crew, eliminating facility capex but capping revenue optionality—no NFL-scale sponsorship inventory, no ancillary event bookings on women's match weekends. The economics work if the Haslams view this as brand halo for the Crew and regional political capital, not standalone P&L.
What the $205 million fee signals is that NWSL expansion valuations are now decoupled from current revenue fundamentals and trading on forward media expectations. The league's current national media deal with CBS, ESPN, Amazon, and Scripts pays roughly $60 million annually through 2027—call it $3.5 million per team before local rights. Atlanta's December $165 million entry already priced in a 3-4x media renewal assumption. Columbus at $205 million implies the bid included either a belief that the next cycle hits $250 million-plus annually, or that the Haslams are paying a control premium to lock the Midwest triangle—Cleveland NFL, Columbus MLS, Columbus NWSL—before a Chicago or Detroit bid arrives.
The Haslams now hold leverage inside two leagues. In MLS, they paid $150 million for the Crew in 2018 after threatening relocation; that franchise is now worth north of $700 million on paper, and Columbus's waterfront stadium district—anchored by Lower.com Field—has drawn $600 million in adjacent real estate investment. The NWSL play extends that district's use case and gives the family a seat at the league's board table during the next CBA negotiation in 2026. Jimmy Haslam's track record includes forcing public infrastructure concessions (Browns stadium renovation talks are live) and extracting sponsor upsells across his portfolio. Expect Columbus NWSL to carry co-branded Crew sponsor patches and share sales staff.
Atlanta BZN's $165 million looked rich in December; five months later it looks like the entry price before serious money arrived. Boston is reportedly fielding bids in the $200 million range. Cleveland and Phoenix have both signaled interest at undisclosed terms. The NWSL has publicly targeted 20 teams by 2028, meaning two more slots remain if the Columbus and Atlanta closes hold. Bid deadline structures are informal but the league is understood to be prioritizing ownership groups with adjacent venue control—MLS crossover, NFL family offices, or arena operators with flexible calendars.
The risk is that player salary inflation outpaces revenue growth. The current CBA caps total compensation at roughly $4.5 million per team; the next negotiation will push that materially higher while the national media deal remains under $4 million per club annually. The math only works if local sponsorship and gate revenue fill the gap, or if Apple-style streaming guarantees arrive. Columbus's corporate base can support $8-12 million in local revenue if the Haslams cross-sell against Crew inventory and the team averages 12,000 paid attendance. That puts break-even around year three, assuming no stadium debt service.
Watch for the Columbus front office hires in the next 60 days—whether the Haslams import Crew executives or recruit from Utah, Portland, or Bay Area FC will signal operational ambition. Kit sponsor and jersey launch timing matters; the Crew's Acura deal runs through 2027 and any Columbus NWSL co-branding would need finalization before summer friendlies. The league's next media tender is expected to go to market in Q4 2026 for a 2028 start. If that deal lands below $200 million annually, the Columbus and Atlanta fees will look aggressive. If it clears $300 million, they'll look like the last cheap entry point.
The 18th franchise is now locked. The 19th and 20th bids are already circulating.
The takeaway
Haslams paid **$205M** for Columbus NWSL, **$40M** above Atlanta's December floor—validation if the 2028 media deal triples, a control premium if it doesn't.
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