The National Women's Soccer League awarded its sixteenth franchise to Columbus, Ohio, for a $205 million expansion fee, the highest in league history and nearly three times the $75 million Seattle paid eighteen months ago. Haslam Sports Group—the family office that owns the Cleveland Browns and Columbus Crew—will operate the team starting in 2028. The fee clears the $150 million threshold NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman set privately in sponsor meetings last spring, according to two people familiar with the conversations.
The Columbus franchise is the fourth NWSL expansion announced since September 2023, following Boston ($53 million, 2026), Bay FC ($53 million, 2024), and Seattle's unnamed club. The fee escalation reflects broadcast momentum: CBS Sports extended its linear rights deal through 2027 at an estimated $15 million annually, while the league's streaming partnership with Amazon Prime Video added $10 million per season. Gate revenue across the league rose 34 percent in 2024, driven by Portland's sold-out playoff run and Orlando's new downtown stadium. Corporate sponsors now pay $8 million to $12 million for title partnerships, up from $4 million in 2021.
Haslam Sports Group operates the Columbus Crew, the MLS franchise that moved back from Austin in 2021 after public pressure and drew an average of 20,844 fans per game in 2024. The group will share scouting infrastructure, front-office staff, and likely Lower.com Field, the $314 million stadium that opened in 2021 with a capacity of 20,371. The Browns' corporate suite holders—who pay $250,000 annually for NFL access—will receive NWSL season tickets as part of renewed contracts starting this summer. One sponsor executive said the add-on lets Haslam "monetize the same logo twice without a second media buy."
The $205 million fee positions NWSL franchises above WNBA expansion prices, which topped out at $50 million for Golden State and Toronto in 2024. Private equity firms holding minority stakes in Angel City FC and Washington Spirit have marked up valuations by an estimated 40 percent since Seattle's deal closed. Sixth Street Partners, which owns 10 percent of Angel City, revalued its position at $180 million enterprise value in December, according to a person who reviewed the fund documents. That compares to the $125 million implied valuation when the team launched in 2022.
Columbus will enter the league alongside a yet-unnamed seventeenth franchise expected to be announced by June. The league's internal projections, shared with prospective ownership groups last fall, assume 18 teams by 2030 and average club revenue of $30 million by 2029, up from an estimated $18 million in 2024. Broadcast rights renew after the 2027 season; Berman has told investors she expects linear and streaming deals to triple in value, citing NCAA women's basketball ratings that rose 134 percent year-over-year during the 2024 tournament.
Haslam Sports Group declined to disclose the Columbus team's name, stadium plan, or front-office hires. The Crew's chief business officer, Steve Lyons, is expected to oversee both clubs. Lower.com Field will require artificial turf replacement—the current surface is FIFA-rated for men's play but not certified for women's international matches—at an estimated cost of $4 million. U.S. Soccer mandates grass surfaces for Women's World Cup qualifiers, and Columbus is one of six finalist cities for the 2027 tournament.
The seventeenth franchise announcement and Columbus's turf decision will likely arrive together, structured as a joint press event to amplify sponsor interest. Cincinnati, Denver, and Charlotte remain in final discussions for the last spot.
The takeaway
Columbus's $205M fee resets NWSL valuations above WNBA thresholds and gives Haslam a second revenue stream from existing Browns sponsors.
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