From Club release:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 2, 2023) – As Nashville Soccer Club enters its fourth season in Major League Soccer, and second at GEODIS Park, principal owner John Ingram announced today that leading scorer in Nashville Predator history Filip Forsberg and two-time MVP and NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo have joined the team’s ownership group.
Antetokounmpo is joined in ownership by his brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alex as well – all of whom play professional basketball worldwide. Thanasis joined Giannis in winning the NBA Championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, and Kostas won one with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
The announcement of the new owners continues the strong momentum built by Nashville SC in the lead-up to the 2023 season, highlighted by its ‘Man in Black’ jersey collaboration with the Estate of Johnny Cash. That momentum continued with a 2-0 victory over New York City FC in front of 28,051 fans at GEODIS Park this past Saturday.
Forsberg and Antetokounmpo join a robust and diverse ownership group whose most recent additions include Reese Witherspoon, her husband Jim Toth and Derrick Henry.
“Nashville is the best sports city in the country, and I am extremely blessed to now be involved with two of our pro teams,” said Forsberg. “Our city is one big family and fanbase, and we support each other on and off the field. Nashville SC has been such a great addition to our sports culture, and joining the ownership group was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up. I grew up a Liverpool FC fan in Sweden, and after today I am happy to add a second set of colors to cheer for!”
“My father was a professional soccer player, and it was the first sport I fell in love with in Greece,” said Antetokounmpo. “I’ve always had the dream of owning a soccer team. When my brothers and I explored Nashville SC, we knew it was a team and a city that we wanted to get involved with. I couldn’t be more excited to join the Boys in Gold, and can’t wait to come to a match at GEODIS Park soon!”
“Soccer is a global sport, and our newest owners once again reinforce our club’s commitment to being a global team,” said Ingram. “Filip and Giannis are not just amazing athletes – they are ambassadors for their respective sports, role models for millions and advocates in their hometowns and worldwide. We share a common belief that our teams not only play to the highest standards, but also lift up their communities and help those who need it most.”
Nashville SC release
NSC has focused on adding celebrities to the ownership group, which is good for attracting new fans to the sport, but is honestly not that compelling from a sporting perspective. It’s essentially a PR stunt (which I don’t use as an insult, just contextualizing what it means from a practical perspective) – ain’t nobody out there gonna change the financials in a way that John Ingram couldn’t already do if he so desired.
Club and Country 