Ryan Reynolds invested $2.5 million into one of the world’s oldest soccer teams Wrexham Football Club. With the Deadpool actor’s marketing skills, the Welsh football club is reaching for the stars. And it has progressed; the team was recently promoted to League One of the English Football League.
Before this leap, Wrexham FC was in the fifth English football division. It moved up into the English Football League after defeating Boreham 3-1. This was the first victory for the new Wrexham AFC owners. Reynolds shared on Instagram that everything he owns smells like champagne, beer, and grass. “I’m still somewhere between giggling and sobbing. This town and this sport is one of the most romantic things on earth.”
Ollie Palmer, the Wrexham striker, said Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are passionate about the team. “It’s so nice to actually feel their passion, not just see it,” he said. “I’ve had good owners and bad owners, and nasty owners. I’ve never had owners that are this passionate and this involved with the football club, with the community, and what they’re doing for everyone.” Palmer added that McElhenney and Reynolds have fallen in love with the town, the community, the football club, and the players.”
Soccer Club Ownership is a Lucrative Business
Back in November 2020, the Canadian-American actor told Wrexham FC supporters that he intends to grow the team. “Our goal is to grow the team, return it to the English Football League in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham.”
Reynolds shared that he was all up for it when McElhenney (co-owner) sent him an email outlining his plan to buy the lower-degree football club and transform it into something like a global force. “I just saw the path that he laid, and I was in. I just thought it was so unexpected and so interesting, and I love building businesses and this is a business.”
Shaun Harvey, Wrexham AFC director, recently revealed that the club’s value and net worth has jumped from $2.5 million to more than $11 million. “The main reason for ownership was the town’s history and to provide hope to the town whilst offering something the community could get behind.” Harvey highlighted that the social media growth has been astronomical from 2020 to 2024, an increase from 152,000 followers to 3,981,747 across all platforms. He acknowledged the exposure, the spotlight.
“The ownership and success have now created a spotlight on the Football League and non-league football, making it attractive for overseas investment. The increased exposure has given us better players and we provide unique selling points for players by providing them with more exposure.”
Wrexham AFC Marketing
Wearing his Ryan Reynolds Wrexham hat, the Green Lantern actor has taken the club to greater heights. He dished out the right cards with Disney+ for the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham. The series featured Reynolds and McElhenney, their journey with the Welsh FC, the good and the bad of playing football in the National League with a focus on the players, fans, and the community.
With a pinch of clever marketing strategies, a dash of social media, and celebrity push, Wrexham AFC became the talk of the world. Interest in the club has exploded. A report highlighted X (formerly Twitter) going from 45k to 209k (+364%), Instagram increased by 670%, and TikTok from 0 to 459k followers. It pointed out that even Premier League clubs like Manchester United have average views in the hundreds of thousands rather than hitting the millions, but Wrexham AFC garnered over 4.4 million likes across its videos, and some videos had over 1 million views!
To keep the excitement up, Reynolds and McElhenney roped in Mr and Mrs Met, the official baseball mascots of the New York Mets, to see some Welsh football. Phillie Phanatic, a large green furry bird (one of the most recognizable mascots in US sport) was also with Mr and Mrs Met. McElhenney said it has been his childhood dream to partner with Major League Baseball and share his love of America’s favorite pastime with the world.
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