Watford FC to offer 10% equity shares to fans through tokens
Fan investment won't include voting rights but could offer dividends.
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Watford FC, the Championship football club, announced today its plans to offer a 10% stake in digital currency to its fans and investors, according to a recent report by Bloomberg. The sale is being facilitated by Republic, a digital-asset company that provides advisory services and blockchain infrastructure, to web3 builders and investors.
As reported, fan investors won’t have voting rights. However, the club will distribute dividends to investors, a rarity in football club ownership.
The club is valued at £175 million and aims to raise £17.5 million through the sale. Once completed, this could be the largest digital equity offering of shares in an English football club, said Andrew Durgee, President of Republic.
The latest move marks a departure from the traditional financing methods employed by UK football clubs. Historically, clubs like Bolton Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers have sought financial support from fans through debt instruments. However, offering equity stakes to fans is a practice that has become less common in the UK.
Watford FC is owned by the Pozzo family, known for its multi-club ownership model. This sale is a separate attempt to raise funds.
Watford has spent 6 seasons in the Premier League over the last decade, and Scott Duxbury, Watford FC’s chairman and CEO, said one of the team’s priorities is to return to the most compelling league in the world.
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