Gotham FC raises US$100m at reported US$350m valuation
Gotham FC has raised US$100 million to invest in its squad, training facilities and move to Queens, in a round that reportedly values the NWSL club at US$350 million.
Gotham FC has added seven minority investors in a capital raise led by the Moelis family, the first time the club has brought in new minority shareholders since Carolyn Tisch Blodgett took over in 2023.The new investors include David Giroux, chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price, and Anne Welsh McNulty, co-founder and managing partner of JBK Partners. Tisch Blodgett’s Next 3 Ventures and the Tisch family also made a substantial investment, alongside existing shareholder Jennifer Mackesy. Tisch Blodgett remains the club’s lead owner.“We want to build a club that competes with the best in the world, attracts top talent, and creates a passionate fan base,” Tisch Blodgett said. “We're incredibly excited to welcome this exceptional group of investors who share our vision and bring valuable expertise, relationships, and perspectives that will help us take Gotham to the next level. Together, we're investing in the people, infrastructure, and experiences needed to build something that will thrive for generations to come.”Gotham announced the size of the raise without disclosing a valuation. Forbes, citing a person familiar with the deal, reported that the round valued the club at US$350 million. That is 84% above Forbes’ April estimate of US$190 million for Gotham and exceeds the US$340 million it assigned to Angel City FC, then the highest-valued club in its NWSL rankings.Forbes estimated Gotham’s 2025 revenue at US$11 million, compared with US$38 million each for Angel City and the Kansas City Current. The move to New York City FC’s Etihad Park in 2028 gives Gotham more sponsorship space to sell, including advertising on LED signage and digital screens at the 25,000-seat stadium in Queens.Gotham currently plays at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, where average attendance rose from about 4,400 in 2022 to 8,900 in 2025. Its Queens Classic drew 42,175 to Citi Field in July, setting a New York City attendance record for a women’s sporting event. The match took place while the Moelis family was assessing its investment.“We were in the middle of our diligence process at that moment, and the energy in the stadium was amazing,” Maddy Moelis, a principal at 209 Capital, told Forbes. “It felt like that was the future.”The club is also developing its first dedicated training facility in Whippany, New Jersey. The site will serve as Gotham’s permanent football operations base and house its new youth development programme, which is designed to provide a route into the professional game.The investment comes as the cost of entering the NWSL continues to rise. The Haslam family secured a Columbus expansion team for US$205 million in April, after Arthur Blank committed US$165 million for an Atlanta franchise.Both are due to begin playing in 2028, the first season after the league’s current media rights agreements with CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports expire.