The 2020 investment by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham Football Club seemed a bizarre transaction at the time. But widespread global interest and three consecutive promotions later, the Wrexham story is proving to be a blueprint for other celebrities.
It was reported recently that rapper Snoop Dogg (formally Snoop Doggy Dogg) has become a minority investor in Wrexham’s Welsh rivals Swansea City. But what is the attraction for US-based global celebrities to invest in a lower tier, relatively small football club in Wales?
Since the investment in Wrexham AFC, it has become arguably the fastest-growing club in the world, mainly thanks to the celebrities’ involvement. The club had average attendances for home matches of around 8,500 in the 2021/22 season, which rose dramatically to almost 13,000 last season. But while the home-grown attendances have risen, the major factor in the increased interest is the fact that the club is now cheered on by fans across the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.
This global spike in interest has resulted in more replica shirts being sold and sponsorship revenues going through the roof. The results on the pitch have also had a positive impact on revenue, as moving up the leagues has meant more prize money and more TV money for the club.
So it looks as though Snoop Dogg’s investment could be a sound one financially. But with an estimated net worth of $160 million, the financial return on his minority stake is unlikely to be the main motivation. Swansea City already had its splash of celebrity, with six times Champions League winner and new AC Milan player, Luka Modric becoming a co-owner in April, and Snoop Dogg has now joined him on the journey.
Snoop has long been on record as wanting to buy into a sports team and in 2023 made an unsuccessful bid to buy the NHL franchise the Ottawa Senators. More recently, and closer to home, he spoke about wanting to invest in Scottish Football giants Celtic. His love of sport was clearly on show last summer, as he became the United States’ team cheerleader at the Paris Olympics, and over the years he has appeared in public wearing a variety of team colours, from Manchester United, Barcelona and Ajax through to Cardiff City (I assume this will not now be repeated!).
The Swansea investment is not just about a love of sport though. For Snoop Dogg the deal is also about his exposure, providing new content to try and expand on his 88 million Instagram followers from outside of the music field. There is also an element of positive PR to the story, supporting an underdog club, very much following the Wrexham playbook. Having experienced a major backlash after controversially appearing at President Trump’s Crypto Ball to celebrate his return to office, Swansea City may seem a safer option to be seen supporting while providing some positive brand re-enforcement.
For Swansea City, it gets the initial financial investment from Modric and Snoop Dogg, but also exposure to their combined 137 million social media followers. That gives Swansea a global reach that other English Championship clubs could only dream of, and seriously rivals Wrexham’s exposure. And these celebrity partnerships are very much part of the strategy set by owners. Football clubs are no longer seen as sports teams but more as cultural assets that can be upgraded and promoted to increase their value. The club itself stated on Snoop that: “It is hoped his global profile and love of football can play an important part in helping us spread the Swansea City name as far and wide as possible in order to boost our commercial performance to further support our aspirations as a club.”
Is Snoop’s involvement in Swansea City a match made in heaven? As a Swans supporter it’s great to see the amount of column inches that the celebrities are generating for the club and there is a real sense of excitement about the future within the fanbase. I only hope that as supporters’ belief grows and things start to heat up that Snoop doesn’t get tempted to ‘Drop it like it’s hot!’
David Little is a Partner at Bishop & Sewell in our expert Sports Law and Corporate & Commercial teams.
If you would like to contact him, please call on either 07968 027343 or 020 7631 4141 or email: company@bishopandsewell.co.uk.
The above is accurate as at 17 June 2025.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice, and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
