A wave of American celebrities are catching the British football bug, stepping into ownership roles across the lower leagues. From Snoop Dogg now a minority owner in Swansea City, JJ Watt backing Burnley FC, Michael B Jordan at A.F.C. Bournemouth, the crossover is real.
The latest celebrity to join the fold is NFL legend Tom Brady, who is joining Birmingham City as a minority owner. Brady’s approach echoes the now-proven model pioneered by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham: using storytelling, access, and documentary filmmaking to transform how people engage with a football club.
The Welcome to Wrexham Case Study
AFC Wrexham was acquired by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, which instantly shifted the club's trajectory. At the time the idea seemed crazy, two Hollywood stars buying a struggling football club in North Wales. But what looked like a gamble has become the model others are now trying to follow.
They invested deeply in infrastructure, operations, and community initiatives.
They produced the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries, telling real stories of the club while building an emotional connection with global audiences.
They used their platforms to give Wrexham global reach, from viral social media posts to appearances on American late-night shows.
Wagner & Brady’s Birmingham City Play:
Prime Video’s new docuseries Built In Birmingham: Brady & the Blues follows the takeover of Birmingham City by US businessman Tom Wagner and NFL legend Tom Brady. Much like the Welcome to Wrexham effect, the timing couldn’t be better. The series captures a wild year: relegation, multiple manager changes, and then a record-breaking season that sealed automatic promotion to the Championship.
Before the takeover, Birmingham were struggling. Over £47 million lost across three seasons, stadium issues, and no clear direction. When Knighthead Capital stepped in, they took full operational control and bought 100 percent of St. Andrew’s. They made their intentions clear from day one that this was about rebuilding properly. In came Tom Brady, Wayne Rooney, and a complete reset behind the scenes.
Since then, the vision has started to come alive. Plans for a £100 million Sports Quarter have been announced, including a new stadium, elite training ground and academy. The club is now starting their new season in the Championship, commercial revenue is at an all-time high, and the infrastructure is being modernised. There’s finally belief again, both on and off the pitch.
Tom Brady’s presence at Birmingham City brings more than star power. As a seven-time Super Bowl winner, he brings elite-level thinking around performance, mindset and discipline. That knowledge is already being applied behind the scenes, from improving recovery and nutrition to raising leadership standards across the club. His role on the advisory board isn’t just symbolic. It signals a shift in culture.
It’ll be interesting to see how this project continues to develop and which celebrity is next to make the jump into British football!
Have a great week.
I think that the difference between the two philosophies comes out pretty clear in the second episode when Rob Mcelhenney says that they don't go into the dressing room, that they're purely there for the marketing.
Tom Brady makes it very clear throughout what I've seen of the series that he isn't there for that but wants to take a very active role.