Real Salt Lake, a franchise from North America’s MLS top-tier soccer league which is in the drawn-out process of moving from Utah to Kansas City, is about to be bought by a consortium that includes David Bitzer, the investment tycoon with a bulging stable of existing sporting interests and clubs, according to reports.
According to local media, Blitzer, 52, is leading a consortium that is in the final stages of negotiations with the MLS.
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Founded in 2004, and an MLS member since 2005, Real Salt Lake is currently the only side in the league without an owner – it has been on sale for the last 18 months, and despite various parties having expressed a fleeting interest at times, the club remains unsold.
Previous RSL owner Dell Loy Hansen sold his majority ownership stake in the club back to the MLS late last year, and the MLS itself took over the search for a new owner in January this year.
At the moment, the league itself is heavily involved with running the franchise on a day-to-day basis.
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Blitzer, meanwhile, through the Harris Blitzer Sports Investment vehicle (which he co-founded with Josh Harris four years ago), is already a co-managing partner and minority owner of the following entities: the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association, Crystal Palace of English soccer’s Premier League, FC Augsburg of German soccer’s Bundesliga, and Waasland-Beveren of Belgium’s Jupiler Pro soccer league.
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By GlobalDataOutside of sports, he is a senior executive at Blackstone Group, the private equity firm.
Reports into the RSL sale have claimed that Hansen and MLS have been looking for a purchase fee of at least $420 million.
Patrick Kinch, a sports analyst at GlobalData, commented: "The MLS’ current domestic broadcast deal, worth $776 million over seven years, expires in 2022, and all indications suggest an increased rights fee is on the cards, meaning Blitzer may have sensed an opportunity to secure franchise ownership before the league’s value increases significantly."
