We tend to view celebrities as a different breed. Their lives are glamorous in a way that is totally distinct from politicians, businessmen, or tech moguls. When Hollywood is in question, most people think of lavish parties and impeccable galas. That is certainly a part of the industry. But, at the end of the day, celebrities are people, just like the rest of us. Like most of us, they have interest and hobbies that many Averages Joes share. One such hobby is football.
Football in the current world has over 3 billion followers. Fans do their best to catch every game involving their favorite club. Some are heavily invested in football betting online, and plenty play the game in their spare time. Of course, a lot of celebrities that you might be aware of have shown an interest in football. Some have even been seen in the bleachers, cheering on their favorite clubs. But, why is football such a hit with the stars?
General Success
We mentioned before that football has over 3 billion fans, and counting. To put it in perspective, that is more people than the four major American leagues combined that watch football every season. Especially successful is the FIFA World Cup; a tournament that frequently outperforms all other sporting events. The point we are making is that football is just generally successful, and therefore it shouldn’t come as a shock that celebrities are into the game.
An excellent example would be Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, both of whom have spoken about their passion for the game. The Hollywood power couple have pictures at several big-time football events, and Reynolds is even a co-owner of the Wrexham football club. Reynolds’ ownership of the club brings us to our next point; financial involvement
Financial Involvement
News regarding A-list Hollywood celebrities buying shares of football clubs emerge with increasing frequency. We brought up Ryan Reynolds already, but if you aren’t a hardcore football fan, you might be surprised at how many famous people own shares of football clubs. The most shocking is certainly LeBron James, who made his name as one of the greatest basketball players of his generation, often regarded as the best of all time. That being said, when off court, James is a shrewd businessman, who purchased a share of Liverpool in 2011.
Why are celebrities looking to invest in football though? For one, football is constantly gaining more popularity, especially in the United States and Canada. In the USA soccer has already surpassed ice hockey as the fourth most popular sport. Another reason for the growing interest in football clubs is the disposable income that could come from it. Football clubs make billions from tickets, broadcasting, sponsorship deals and merchandising. Plenty of stars have quite a shrewd mind. They see the potential for business, and are looking to get a slice of the pie.
It is important to note that the relationship is mutually beneficial. Certainly, an actor or actress can greatly benefit from buying shares of a football club. But, the football club also gets a pretty good deal. Celebrity endorsements almost always attract a bigger audience. A larger audience means more ticket sales, higher attendance, and more merchandise sold. Furthermore, it also attracts sponsors, which is always a good thing.
Football in the United States
Historically, the United States has not had a very positive view of the world’s most popular sport. Yet, that seems to be changing. In 2024, football overtook ice hockey in terms of viewers and followers. Furthermore, American teams are gaining a global audience, though nowhere near the level of the European clubs. On top of that, the American national soccer team is performing better than ever. Considering that Hollywood celebrities are the ones most people think of when talking about stars, it shouldn’t surprise anybody that the sport’s growing popularity in the USA will affect them.
The hit show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was co-created in the early 2000s by Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day. In a relatively recent episode of their podcast, McElhenney brings up that he has been getting into football recently, and even talks about some of his favorite clubs. Furthermore, like Ryan Reynolds, he also has shares in two football clubs, Wrexham and Necaxa. McElhenney mentioned that he prefers watching the English Premier League over Major League Soccer, yet he does seem to have a soft spot for the American game as well.
Another thing of note is that Hollywood, while the center of American film culture, has a lot of actors from all over the world. Many of them are Englishmen and women, who were raised on football in their home country. Their passion for the sport has certainly rubbed off on fellow actors, actresses, directors and the gorgeous models of the modern era, who are now quite open about their newfound love for soccer.
Schmoozing with Athletes
Thus far we have not addressed the obvious elephant in the room. That is the fact that football athletes are among the most well-known superstars in the world. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and of course, David Beckham are all names that most of us would recognize, even if we aren’t fans of sports. David Beckham is especially influential in Hollywood, having performed bit roles in several films and commercials. The former football player has been seen around some of the world’s most influential superstars.
Befriending a footballer would certainly pique one’s interest in the sport. If the player shows an exceptional passion for the game then their influence will be all the stronger. Many have joked that Beckham has brought more people into football after retiring than he ever did when he was a player. Whether that is true or not, we can’t say. But, what we can say is that interaction with athletes has almost certainly had a major influence on the sport’s increasing popularity among the world’s biggest celebrities.
Also Read-Sports Betting While Watching Football on Xoilac TV: Enhance Your Game Day Experience!
