David Blitzer, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils, is part of a group that is reportedly close to acquiring MLS club Real Salt Lake, valued at $420 million.
RSL has been on the market since September 2020 following a report of racist behavior by the current owner Dell Loy Hansen, who initially purchased a 49% stake in the club in 2009 from founder Dave Checketts.
Four years later, Hansen acquired complete ownership of RSL and its properties, including Rio Tinto Stadium, for an undisclosed amount.
Over the past year, MLS has seen changes in controlling ownership of several clubs.
- In May, the Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings, agreed to purchase Orlando City SC, Orlando Pride, and its stadium for between $400 million and $450 million.
- The same month, Ted Segal — co-founder of Verance Capital — acquired majority ownership of Houston Dynamo FC for roughly $400 million.
The purchase of RSL includes an option to bring an additional NWSL team back to Utah beginning in 2023, after Hansen put the Utah Royals up for sale with RSL.
The Utah Royals were purchased by Angie and Chris Long, founders of Palmer Square Capital Management, in December 2020. The couple moved the team to Kansas — the Kansas City Current — as an expansion franchise prior to the 2021 NWSL season.
