Tag: Alexis Ohanian

Angel City founder Ohanian: NWSL will be bigger than MLS in 10 years

The potential for growth in the women’s league is much higher, said the Reddit co-founder

Angel City FC co-founder Alexis Ohanian believes that the NWSL will be bigger than MLS within the next 10 years.

The NWSL, which began play in 2013, has established itself as one of, if not the best women’s soccer league in the world as it continues to add teams.

The league grew to 14 teams this year, with two more expansion franchises set to join by 2026.

As the NWSL pursues an aggressive growth strategy, it will follow in the footsteps of MLS, which will grow to 30 teams next season.

Though NWSL franchise values and media rights deals lag behind those of MLS, the league is experiencing rapid growth as the profile of women’s sports worldwide continues to surge.

According to Ohanian, the NWSL has one key advantage over MLS that will fuel its growth in the coming years.

“The Messi effect has been phenomenal,” the Reddit co-founder said on the Seven Seven Six podcast.

“What they’ve built there is real. Can the whole league sustain? No. I think it’s very hard to justify in a world where the best footballers don’t consider MLS even a top two league? Top three?

“All of the European leagues are superior to it,” he continued. “Can that change in the next 10 years? I don’t think so. And unless that changes, you’re not going to get the values to really match up. That’s why I think the NWSL will be bigger than MLS in 10 years, because we can tell a story of excellence in women’s football in America using the NWSL.”

Ohanian gave up control of Angel City last month in a deal that saw Willow Bay and Bob Iger become the club’s new controlling owners.

Iger, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company and Bay, the dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, completed the transaction with the NWSL club valued at $250 million, making it the most valuable women’s sports team in the world.

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Collin Morikawa joins Los Angeles-based TGL club owned by Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams

Morikawa and Justin Thomas are the first two players to sign for the tech-infused league.

Justin Thomas was the first player to sign with a TGL team on Tuesday and just 24 hours later Collin Morikawa followed suit.

The southern California native signed with Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) on Wednesday, the team owned by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Serena and Venus Williams. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, as well as Alex Morgan, her husband Servando Carrasco and Michelle Wie West are all limited partners in the club.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome Collin to the Los Angeles Golf Club family,” said Ohanian. “Collin’s exceptional skill, commitment to the game, and resonance with fans make him the perfect fit for LAGC.”

“I’m honored and excited to join Los Angeles Golf Club as their inaugural team player,” Morikawa added. “TGL has the opportunity to reach new fans and build enthusiasm for the game.”

Morikawa is already a two-time major champion and has six PGA Tour wins over just a five-year career. The former Cal standout also won the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai in 2021.

TGL, led by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, is a new tech-infused golf league that will see six teams of four PGA Tour players compete on a massive simulator inside a newly built stadium on the campus of Palm Beach State in Florida. Fans can watch the action on ESPN, with the first match set for Jan. 9, 2024.

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Reddit creator Alexis Ohanian, tennis stars Serena, Venus Williams lead ownership group for first TGL team based in Los Angeles

The team will be named Los Angeles Golf Club.

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The first of six team ownership groups for TGL has officially been announced.

Los Angeles Golf Club (LAGC) will be the inaugural team of TGL, a “new tech-infused league” developed by Tiger Woods and Rory’s McIlroy’s TMRW Sports, which was announced last August. LAGC will be owned by Seven Seven Six (776) founder Alexis Ohanian, and joined by tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams.

Ohanian, the creator of Reddit and Serena’s husband, is also the principal owner Los Angeles’ National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, Angel City FC.

“Los Angeles is the perfect home for our TGL team. This city embodies the intersection of sports, technology, and entertainment, making it an ideal backdrop for the innovation and excitement we aim to bring to the world of golf and its fans,” said Ohanian.

If you’re unfamiliar with the plans for TGL, here’s the format:

Six teams of three PGA Tour players will compete in 15 regular-season Monday night matches, followed by semifinals and finals matches, starting January 2024. The matches will be played at a tech-infused, short-game complex, and fans will be able to see every shot live over a two-hour broadcast on primetime television.

Woods and McIlroy helped break ground on the TGL venue at Palm Beach State College back in February, and currently 12 players have committed to TGL, including Woods, McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and more.

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Alexis Ohanian makes a fantastic statement with his shirt at Serena Williams’ Australian Open win

Well said.

Serena Williams is on to the Australian Open semifinals with a win over No. 2 seed Simona Halep on Tuesday, which means she’ll face Naomi Osaka next.

She had the support of her husband Alexis Ohanian — who has always been vocal and backed up Williams, whether it’s over the way she’s being covered by the media or with billboards — who was in the stands at Rod Laver Arena cheering her on.

It was his t-shirt selection that’s getting some buzz (and you’ll recall a t-shirt he wore in 2019 went viral because it may have been trolling Maria Sharapova). The way to describe it is this: “Greatest Female Athlete.”

Perfect. It’s a response to anyone who doesn’t put her on the list of greatest athletes, regardless of gender.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4Qpu9B5tn/?utm_source=ig_embed

Ohanian also took to Twitter to take a shot at Ion Tiriac, the director of the Madrid Open who told a television station earlier this year, “At this age and the weight she is now, she does not move as easily as she did 15 years ago … If she had a little decency, she would retire.”

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