Watford Football Club, a professional English football team, is planning to sell 10% of its equity to investors, including its fans. This opportunity for fans to own a piece of the club’s legacy and future comes as the club seeks to raise approximately £17.5 million ($22.3 million) through the equity sale.
The club will be offering the shares on the crypto and startup investment platform Republic, as well as its European crowdfunding arm Seedrs. Each share is priced at £12.44 ($15.88), with a minimum investment of four shares totaling £49.76 ($63.51) on Seedrs, and a minimum of eight shares totaling £99.52 ($127.04) on Republic. The aim of the equity sale is to fund initiatives that will help develop the club’s brand and improve the performance of its teams, particularly in areas such as player recruitment, training, and coaching.
Scott Duxbury, Watford FC’s Chairman and CEO, expressed the club’s commitment to growth and innovation by offering true ownership shares to a wide range of investors, including fans, through digital equity. The management team’s goal is to bring the club back to the Premier League, and they believe that this equity sale initiative will play a significant role in achieving that objective.
By partnering with Republic, Watford FC hopes to attract a broader spectrum of investors than would be feasible through a traditional equity raise. Investors participating in the offer will have the opportunity to access exclusive offers and receive the club’s tokens, which can potentially be traded in the future. Republic’s president, Andrew Durgee, highlighted the significance of this opportunity as the largest digital equity offering to unlock true ownership shares in an English football club, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to making sports ownership more accessible to fans and professional investors alike.
While investors who purchase equity in Watford FC will not have voting rights within the club, they will be eligible to receive dividends on their investments. This unique opportunity allows fans to play a more active role in shaping the future of the club while also potentially benefiting financially from their investment. Watford FC’s equity sale represents a new and innovative approach to fan engagement and sports investment in the world of professional football.
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