Celebrity investment is changing the game for women’s soccer, including for expansion team BOS Nation

The GIST: Launch day didn’t go as planned for NWSL expansion club BOS Nation FC, but it did successfully announce celebrity investment from actress Elizabeth Banks and gymnast Aly Raisman yesterday. The franchise uniquely boasts an all-women ownership group, but its incoming celeb investment follows an NWSL trend that’s helped franchises shine bright and far.

The trend: Fellow NWSL club Angel City FC is the best (but not only) example of celebrity investment immediately paying off in women’s pro soccer, and it has the ticket sales and league-high revenue of $31M to prove it.

• The influx of women celebs investing in women’s sports is also notable with many looking to make up for discriminatory pay gaps in their own industries — actresses, for example, earn $1M less on average than their male counterparts.

• Still, celebs, regardless of gender, have good reason to invest. Women’s sports can produce an exceptional return on investment: According to Deloitte, the industry will generate more than $1B in revenue this year. Now that’s bang for your buck.

The game plan: It’s no secret that increased investment means more opportunities and access to resources, but as former USWNT player and current Bay FC co-founder Aly Wagner also put it, “making women’s sports culturally relevant is critical to growing the business from a fan, partnership, and media perspective.”

• And what better way to increase cultural relevance than to merge pop culture and sports, which is exactly what celebrity involvement does. From being sideline spectators (see: Taylor Swift) to funding change in the C-suite, a sport’s reach is broadened by the infusion of pop culture.

The results: NWSL valuations continue to balloon, with franchises worth $104M on average, up 57% YoY. Angel City FC and the Kansas City Current (co-owned by Brittany and Patrick Mahomes) lead the way, with ACFC’s current valuation sitting at $250M in only its third season.

• Celebrity investment offers a whole lot of Ws: It’s a win for celebrities who are looking to diversify their portfolios, it’s a win for teams, who get an influx of funding and visibility, and it’s a win for fans (new and old) to see their fave celebs interact with beloved sports teams. Golazos all around.