“It was quiet out here”: Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian reflects on early challenges starting NWSL’s Angel City FC
Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian recently reflected on the limited backing he received when he decided to buy soccer team Angel City FC. The tech entrepreneur made that move to champion and support the growth of women’s sports.
The 41-year-old, alongside his wife, 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams, is a major investor in Angel City FC, which joined the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022.
In a recent interview with Fortune, Ohanian stated that if women’s sports have the potential to achieve significant financial success if they can draw an audience comparable to men’s sports.
“Most brands that are currently interested in aligning with sports are backing men’s teams. But we know who controls household spending. We know who drives culture…At a minimum, if you can reach an audience that’s as big as the current (audience for men’s sports), I think you clearly have a billion dollar business,” he said.
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The website later highlighted Ohanian’s quotes on X.
The Reddit co-founder re-shared the post on X, recalling when he decided to invest in an NWSL club. However, he thanked those who introduced him to the fandom that women’s soccer already had.
“It was reallllly quiet out here back in 2019 when I said women’s sports was a huge opportunity in plain sight and I was gonna buy/start an NWSL club — thanks to all of you here in my replies who showed me the huge fandom that was already there for women’s soccer,” he said.
Ohanian once revealed what prompted him to buy the Angel City FC.
“Angel City FC was largely prompted by a dare from Serena Williams”: Alexis Ohanian
Alexis Ohanian at an event in 2024 (Image Source: Getty)
Alexis Ohanian once shared that a dare from his wife, Serena Williams, led him to buy Angel City FC.
“Angel City [FC] was largely prompted by a dare from my wife [Serena Williams],” Alexis Ohanian said, in a video shared by the NWSL on Twitter
While watching the 2019 Women’s World Cup final with his daughter wearing an Alex Morgan jersey, Ohanian imagined her playing for the national team. Serena quickly responded, saying she wouldn’t play until women were paid fairly. Ohanian took this as a challenge and decided to revolutionize women’s sports.
“As I was watching the 2019 Women’s World Cup final and my daughter was running around in an Alex Morgan jersey. I was just musing like, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if she played for the women’s national team one day?’ And Serena without missing a single beat said, ‘Not until they pay her what she’s worth.’ I was like, alright, challenge accepted, let’s see if I can do some things to help,” he added.
The Reddit co-founder has made significant investments to promote the cause. In September, Ohanian organized a track meet exclusively for female athletes called Athlos NYC, the inaugural edition of which was held at the Icahn Stadium.
The following month, a reality show co-produced by Ohanian, The Offseason FC, was released. It followed 11 NWSL players living and training together during the offseason in Miami. The show gained significant traction, something the Reddit co-founder frequently highlighted while championing women’s sports.
