D.C. United Holdings

Last updated

D.C. United Holdings is the holding company that controls operating rights to D.C. United, [1] a professional soccer club that is part of Major League Soccer (MLS). The company, founded in 2007, was initially led by Will Chang, Brian Davis, Christian Laettner, and Kevin Payne who maintained his position with the new investors. D.C. United Holdings bought D.C. United from Anschutz Entertainment Group for US$33 million, which was a record fee for operational rights to an MLS club at that time.

In May 2009, previous stakeholder Victor MacFarlane announced the sale of his share of D.C. United Holdings to majority owner William Chang, giving him a 98% stake in the organization. [2] In October 2009, Chang bought out Davis and Laettner, who held the remaining 2%, to fully control 100% of the team. [3]

In 2012, Erick Thohir and Jason Levien purchased the club and its holding company, with Chang remaining as a minority investor. Their efforts are primarily focused on getting United a new stadium and enhancing the four-time MLS champions' global profile. [4] A minority stake in the club was purchased by rapper Yo Gotti in September 2021. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major League Soccer</span> Professional soccer league in the United States and Canada

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada—since the 2023 season. The league is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D.C. United</span> American football team

D.C. United is an American professional men's soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups, four Supporters Shields, three U.S. Open Cups and six Eastern Conference championships. In international competitions, the club has one CONCACAF Champions League title and one Copa Interamericana, being the only American team to win the latter. In terms of trophies won, it is the joint-most successful overall club in American soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Davis (basketball)</span> American basketball player and businessman (born 1970)

Brian Keith Davis is an American former basketball player and businessman. A 6'7" guard-forward, Davis played college basketball at Duke Blue Devils and was a member of the 1991 and 1992 national championship teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dax McCarty</span> American soccer player

Michael Dax McCarty is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC.

Andell Holdings is a private investment firm and one of the nation's leading family offices. Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment managers. Andell's real estate platform includes a variety of investments across all asset classes and throughout the capital structure. Andell has been helmed by co-founder Andrew Hauptman since its inception in 1998.

Jason M. Levien is an American sports executive. He is the CEO and managing general owner of the Major League Soccer club D.C. United and co-owner of Swansea City, a Welsh football club, and the Brisbane Bullets, an Australian basketball club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Union</span> Soccer club based in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 2010 as an expansion team. The club's home stadium is Subaru Park, a soccer-specific stadium located in Chester, Pennsylvania on the banks of the Delaware River.

Andrew Hauptman is an American business executive, philanthropist, and civic leader. Hauptman co-founded the investment firm Andell Holdings which he has helmed since its inception in 1998 and has grown into one of the leading family office entities in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expansion of Major League Soccer</span>

Major League Soccer has expanded several times since the league began play in 1996. Major League Soccer was established as the top level of professional soccer in the United States in 1993 with 10 teams and began play in 1996. It has expanded several times since 1998 into new markets across the United States and, since 2006, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vancouver Whitecaps FC</span> Soccer club in Canada

Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, 2009, and began play in 2011 as the 17th team to enter Major League Soccer while replacing the USSF Division 2 team of the same name in the city, making them a phoenix club and the third to carry the Whitecaps name. The club has been owned and managed by the same group since their USSF days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi Field</span> Soccer stadium in Washington, D.C.

Audi Field is a soccer-specific stadium in Buzzard Point in Washington, D.C. It is the home stadium for both of Washington, D.C.’s professional soccer teams, D.C. United in Major League Soccer and Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League, as well as housing the DC Defenders of the XFL. The stadium seats 20,000 people.

Since its creation in 1996, Major League Soccer, the highest level of professional soccer in the United States, has had three teams cease operations—the Tampa Bay Mutiny, the Miami Fusion, and Chivas USA. The two Florida-based teams ceased playing after the 2001 season as a result of the league's financial situation, and Chivas USA folded after the 2014 season with plans to rebrand and move to a stadium in downtown Los Angeles. All three situations involved league ownership of the clubs and executive decisions to maintain the viability and competitiveness of the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erick Thohir</span> Indonesian politician and businessman (born 1970)

Erick Thohir is an Indonesian businessman and politician who has served as Indonesia's Minister of State Owned Enterprises since 2019 and chairman of Football Association of Indonesia since 2023. He is the founder of Mahaka Group, a conglomeration that focuses on media, sports and entertainment. Globally known as the former owner and chairman of Italian football giant Inter Milan and US soccer club D.C. United, Thohir is currently co-owner alongside Anindya Bakrie of English League One team Oxford United and Liga 1 outfit Persis Solo along with Kaesang Pangarep, the youngest son of President Joko Widodo. He was also the president director of ANTV television station and the chief of the Indonesian Olympic Committee. In 2019, he became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Thohir is also currently a member of the FIBA Central Board.

Major League Soccer has been broadcast live in the United States nationally since the league's inception in 1996 and in Canada since 2007. As of the 2023 season, Apple Inc. is the primary global rights holder and streams every regular season and playoff match on MLS Season Pass – a new service on the Apple TV app. Some matches will also be broadcast on television via Fox Sports in the United States, and Bell Media in Canada.

David Scott Blitzer is an American investor and sports team owner. He is a senior executive at the private equity firm Blackstone and co-managing partner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils. A native of New Jersey, he graduated from the Wharton School and joined Blackstone in 1991. Blitzer's net worth was estimated by Forbes in June 2023 to be $1.9 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inter Miami CF</span> American professional soccer club

Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, known as Inter Miami CF or Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a suburb of Miami. Established in 2018, the club began playing in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer during the 2020 season. The club garnered international attention prior to its founding because of club president and co-owner David Beckham and again in 2023 when it signed Lionel Messi. Following the signing, the club won its first major trophy, the expanded 2023 Leagues Cup, the North American zonal competition for the CONCACAF region.

The History of Major League Soccer began in 1988, when the United States Soccer Federation pledged to create a Division 1 professional soccer league as a condition to FIFA awarding the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. Major League Soccer was officially formed in 1995. The league began play in 1996 with 10 teams, and in 1998 grew to 12 teams. MLS experienced some difficulties in its first seasons, with the league losing money in the early years, resulting in two teams folding after the 2001 season. MLS has rebounded since then, with increased attendance and the development of soccer-specific stadiums. With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and is the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. MLS currently has 29 teams, with further expansion to 30 teams planned with the addition of a San Diego team in 2025. As of 2023, MLS is the largest first division professional soccer league in the world by number of clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luciano Acosta</span> Argentine footballer

Luciano Federico "Lucho" Acosta is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville SC</span> American soccer club

Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in Major League Soccer in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned by John Ingram, owner of Ingram Industries, along with investors and partial owners the Turner family of Dollar General Stores.

References

  1. "About Major League Soccer". mlssoccer.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  2. "Victor MacFarlane to sell interest in D.C. United". D.C. United. May 21, 2009. Archived from the original on May 26, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2009.
  3. Goff, Steve (October 21, 2009). "DCU Ownership, Olsen, USA Friendlies". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
  4. Borg, Simon. "DC United introduce new investors Thohir and Levien". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  5. Grant, Shawn (2021-11-17). "Yo Gotti Announces New Album 'CM10: Free Game' Set for Nov. 26". The Source .