Tom Brady Joins Birmingham City As Minority Owner After NFL Retirement

After 23 seasons in the National Football League and seven Super Bowl victories, legendary quarterback Tom Brady announced his retirement for a second time in February 2023.

Along with raising his family and a future sports broadcasting deal with Fox Corporation (NASDAQ: FOX) (NASDAQ: FOXA), Brady, who turned 46 Thursday, is adding another post-retirement job to his mix.

Brady announced a minority investment Thursday in Championship English soccer club Birmingham City, joining the growing list of celebrities and athletes who own stakes in professional teams.

Brady shared details in a video on his Twitter social media account.

“Maybe you are asking, ‘What do you know about English football, Tom?’ Well, let’s just say I’ve got a lot to learn. But I do know a few things about winning,” Brady said in the video.

The former NFL quarterback partnered with Knighthead Capital Management, the owners of the club, on the investment, according to the Associated Press.

“Birmingham is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honor for me.”

Birmingham City issued a tweet about the news, sharing details on Brady’s new ownership and role with the team.

“Brady will become Chairman of the new Advisory Board. As Chairman of the Advisory Board, Brady will apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the Club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs,” Birmingham City said.

The team also added that Brady will help with “global marketing efforts” and “new commercial partnership opportunities” for Birmingham City.

Birmingham City competes in the English Championship League, which is a level below the English Premier League. The top two teams from the Championship are promoted to the English Premier League each season and the bottom three teams are relegated to a league below.

Birmingham has been around for 148 years and last played in the English Premiere League in the 2010-2011 season, where it finished 18th and was relegated. The team previously finished ninth in the 2009-2010 EPL season.

Birmingham was also in the EPL in the 2007-2008 season (19th, relegated) and four seasons straight from 2002-2003 through 2005-2006, with a top finish of 10th place in that time frame.

The soccer team finished in 17th place of 24 teams with a 14 win, 11 draws and 21 losses record for the 2022-2023 season.

The ownership stake in Birmingham City by Brady comes as he is working to acquire a stake in the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. Brady is also an owner in the Las Vegas Aces (WNBA) and a Pickleball franchise.

Brady owns a production company, which could lead to interest in creating a docuseries on his team ownership, similar to what Ryan Reynolds has done covering his team ownership in Welsh soccer club Wrexham alongside actor Rob McElhenney.

Media rights for Championship games in the U.S. belong to ESPN, a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS). The league and Birmingham specifically could see increased interest from Brady’s fans.

Another fun story line could materialize if Birmingham is promoted to the English Premier League and competes against Manchester United (NYSE: MANU). The Glazer family, which also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owns Manchester United. Brady helped the Buccaneers win a recent Super Bowl. The Glazer family is exploring a sale of the team, but discussions appear to have stalled.

Athlete And Celebrity Team Owners: Brady is following other athletes and celebrities into the world of team ownership with his investment in a soccer team.

J.J. Watt, who retired from the NFL after the 2023 season, announced an investment in English team Burnley. The English soccer club was previously in the Championship league with Birmingham, but will be promoted to the English Premiere League for the new season.

Golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas also recently invested in Leeds United, which plays in the Championship with Birmingham.

NBA superstar LeBron James is a part owner of Liverpool, an English Premier League club. James also owns stakes in the Boston Red Sox (MLB) and Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL).

Other examples of celebrities and athletes owning stakes in teams include:

Serena Williams: minority owner in Miami Dolphins (NFL), investor in Los Angeles Angel City (NWSL). Other Dolphins owners include Serena’s sister Venus Williams, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony and Fergie.

Women’s soccer team Angel City’s investors include Natalie Portman, Mia Hamm, Billie Jean King, Uzo Aduba, Jessica Chastain, America Ferrera, Jennifer Garner, Eva Longoria, Christina Aguilera, Candace Parker, Lindsey Vonn and more. 

Former soccer star David Beckham owns a stake in Inter Miami (MLS) and was instrumental in helping to bring Lionel Messi to the United States soccer league.

Current NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes is an investor in the Kansas City Royals (MLB), Sporting Kansas City (MLS) and Kansas City Current (NWSL).

Produced in association with Benzinga