Mata-Backed Investment Group Expands Women's Football Portfolio
Mercury13, an investment group supported by former Spanish football star Juan Mata, is in advanced negotiations to acquire a stake in Spanish top-flight women's club Levante Badalona. Founded by American-Argentine businesswoman Victoire Cogevina Reynal, the group has committed $100 million to build a global portfolio of women's football clubs, with the Spanish outfit earmarked as its next strategic investment.
Building a Global Network of Women's Clubs
The group has already established a significant presence in women's football, having purchased FC Como Women in Italy during 2024 before investing in English WSL2 club Bristol earlier this year. While Mercury13 has also held discussions with Spanish club Espanyol, sources indicate that Levante Badalona has emerged as the preferred option for their next acquisition.
Notably, Mercury13's mission focuses on increasing female ownership within sports franchises, though it has attracted investment from several prominent figures in men's football. Alongside World Cup winner Juan Mata, former Italy and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has also invested in the ambitious project. The group declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations when approached.
Other Major Sports Business Developments
In related sports business news, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly's involvement with US-based ticket marketplace Vivid Seats will remain unaffected by the UK government's planned clampdown on ticket touting. The proposed ban on resales above face value, expected in next year's King's Speech, will only apply to transactions within the UK, while Vivid Seats operates overseas despite facilitating ticket resales for Chelsea matches at inflated prices.
Meanwhile, Red Bull has committed to investing at least £30 million over five years at its Premiership Rugby outfit Newcastle Falcons. Despite a challenging start that saw the removal of director of rugby Steve Diamond and five consecutive league defeats, the energy drink giant has pledged significant long-term improvements to the stadium, training facilities, playing squad and academy infrastructure.
In broadcasting developments, the rebranded Gallagher Premiership is achieving impressive television audience growth, with TNT Sports reporting viewing figures up by an average of 35 per cent over the opening five rounds compared to the previous season. The Leicester versus Bath match last month attracted TNT's largest ever Premiership Rugby audience at approximately 250,000 viewers.
Sky Sports continues to expand its football coverage, with its successful bid for Europa League and Conference League rights bringing its total football offering to 1,616 matches annually from 2025. This represents an average of four and a half games for every day of the year, creating significant scheduling challenges for the broadcaster.
