Buying the NWSL Seattle Reign FC was just the “first step” in longtime Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer’s plans, according to Andy Yamashita of the SEATTLE TIMES. Hanauer “envisions a facility filled with energy and excitement” but also “acknowledges it will be a long process before everything he dreams of becomes a reality.” Hanauer purchased the Reign with private equity firm Carlyle Group from French company OL Groupe in a deal finalized in June 2024. Hanauer, the Reign’s governor, is “now preparing” for his first full season in charge of the team. Hanauer “repeatedly” discussed building a “soccer-specific stadium in Renton on the team’s practice facility campus, though he admitted any plans are still in the distant future.” He also acknowledged that both teams “face a massive challenge filling the 68,000-seat Lumen Field.” Sounders CBO Hugh Weber said that there is a “continued effort to make Sounders games feel more intimate and bring in new fans.” Yamashita noted this is “why the club created its First Match On Us initiative.” Weber said that they have “already received more than 10,000 interested inquiries in fewer than two weeks” (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/9).
Hanauer outlines plans for Seattle Reign FC’s future
