City AM quotes Danielle Sharkey on how teams are valued in women's football

Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian has bought a stake in WSL champions Chelsea, the club confirmed earlier this month. Ohanian will have a seat on Chelsea Women's board after reportedly purchasing an 8-10% share (believed to be worth somewhere in the region of £20 million).

According to Aki Mandhar, chief executive of the women's club, the deal is significant. Commenting last week, Manhar says:

This is a landmark day in the history of Chelsea Women and for women's football in Europe and beyond," said Aki Mandhar, chief executive Chelsea Women. This investment is validation of the club's past success but more importantly it is yet another proof point in the market of the persistent growth and potential of women's football.

"There is no greater champion of investing in the future of girls and women's sports than Alexis, and we are incredibly proud to welcome him to the club.

The investment has also raised questions about how to arrive at accurate valuations for women’s football teams. In a new article, City AM asked a number of industry experts for their views on how these clubs can be valued, which is particularly important for events such as acquisitions, disposals and investments. 

City AM spoke to Danielle Sharkey, Senior Associate in our Dispute Resolution team for her views. Danielle explains that the sustained on-field success of Chelsea Women should also be considered in their valuation. She continues:

Driving up that figure is the fact that they are among the most successful teams in the Women’s Super League, having just attained a sixth league title in a row, and the general positive outlook for the growth of women’s sport.

Read the full article in City AM here.