Carlyle buys Seattle Reign FC, as women's soccer team sales surge

The National Women's Soccer League season kicked off this past weekend, but it may be busier off the pitch.

Driving the news: Two franchises were just sold, and a third is in talks to do the same.

Carlyle has agreed to buy Seattle Reign FC from France's OL Groupe for $58 million. It's Carlyle's first-ever pro sports team purchase, and was done in partnership with Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders.
Lauren Leichtman and Arthur Levine, the married co-founders of buyout firm LLCP, reportedly agreed to buy the San Diego Wave from Ron Burkle for around $113 million.
Angel City FC is seeking a new control investor, with upwards of a $180 million team valuation.

The big picture: The league is at an inflection point, with a new TV contract and a rising interest in U.S. women's sports.

Last year, only a handful of NWSL games were nationally televised. This year the number will be over 100, all with better production quality. But there's still plenty of room for additional commercialization.
The result is that some early owners are seeking to cash out at a profit, while new, often deeper pockets are seeking to enter.

In the weeds: All three deals, assuming Angel City gets done, would still require league approval.

Look ahead: Don't be surprised if we soon see more institutional dollars flowing into the NWSL, including from private equity.