The Battal family becomes controlling owners and buys the club from Peregrine Sports.
Portland, Oregon – RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bartal Merage and alex baatarhas officially taken over management of Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League from Peregrine Sports LLC, both groups announced today.
Lisa Batal Merage will serve as the controlling owner and NWSL Governor, and Alex Batal will serve as the NWSL Alternate Governor.
“Today is a milestone day for our family and for the great Portland community,” said Lisa Bartal Merage. “Everything we do is centered around positive impact. As fans ourselves and experienced sports and real estate executives, we are passionate about the future of Portland, the NWSL, and this iconic team. We believe in the great opportunity that surrounds us. We would like to thank Merritt Paulson for believing in our vision for this club, and for everything he and the Thorns have done for the growth of the NWSL and women’s soccer in this country. We look forward to working with the Timbers during this transition period and beyond to ensure the Thorns’ continued success at Providence Park.”
A key element of the new ownership is RAJ Sports’ commitment to progress plans for a new first-class, purpose-built women’s football-specific training facility.
“Our vision is to support new and widespread growth for the Thorns, the people of Portland, and women’s sports as a whole,” said Batal-Meraj. “Specifically, we bring deep experience in professional sports and large-scale real estate developments that create vibrant community centers, and are well-positioned to provide valuable assets that will support the further growth of our players, staff and fans. .”
The acquisition represents the latest in the expansion of the sports team ownership portfolio held by the Baatar family, which includes Lisa, Alex, and their parents. Raj and Marta Baatar. The family’s additional holdings include the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, the AAA baseball club the Sacramento RiverCats, the NBA-G League club the Stockton Kings, and the Kings Guard esports team NBA 2K. Raj currently serves as Vice Chairman and Acting Governor of the Kings, and Alex serves as a member of the Kings’ Executive Committee. Over the past decade, the Batard family has played a key role in the growth and development of the Kings, including the development of the award-winning Golden 1 Center Arena, the four-star Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, and the Sacramento Downtown Commons retail and entertainment district. did. .
In addition, Lisa and Alex are co-founders and managing partners of Revitate, a Newport Beach-based investment firm specializing in investments in sports, real estate, and consumer brands.
Thorns FC will continue to play at Providence Park. The team has a lease at the stadium in downtown Portland that runs through 2035.
“We are extremely proud of the significance the Portland Thorns have to not only the NWSL, but all of women’s sports,” Peregrine Sports Owner said. Merritt Paulson. “They’re ambitious, they’re fundamental, they’re the foundational franchise of the NWSL, and they helped grow the league into the successful place it is today.”
“We are pleased to transfer ownership of the Thorns to Lisa Birdsall Merage and her family for the next phase of growth and stability. Their extensive experience in sport and business makes them the ideal owners.” Paulson continued. “Female-led ownership and the commitment to build a purpose-built training facility for the Thorns has been extremely beneficial. We are excited to make this partnership smooth and successful for everyone involved, and most importantly, seamless for Thorns players, staff and fans.”
Today’s announcement follows last week’s formal vote by the NWSL Board of Directors to approve the sale. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Today is an exciting day for the NWSL and we look forward to our continued growth as we welcome this exceptional new ownership group,” said the NWSL Commissioner. jessica berman. “Portland Thorns FC is an iconic club supported by some of the best fans in sports, and we are thrilled to welcome Lisa and Alex to the NWSL Board of Directors.”
About Portland Thorns FC
Founded in 2012, Portland Thorns FC has set the standard for fan support and on-field success in women’s soccer since its inaugural season in 2013. One of the most popular women’s soccer clubs in the world, Portland has led the league in attendance for eight seasons, with 25,218 fans cheering Thorns FC on last year’s semifinals at Providence Park. This set a new record for attendance at a club playoff.
Thorns FC won the NWSL Championship a league-record three times (2013, 2017, 2022) and finished runner-up in 2018. The club made a league-high nine appearances in the postseason, and in 2016 he won the NWSL Shield, and in 2021.
About Raji Sports
The acquisition of the Thorns continues the story of the “American Dream” for the Birdsall family. Raj Baatar came to America from India in 1960. Soon after, he met his former UCLA college athlete, Marta, and together they started and built an industry-leading swimwear and beachwear company. Lisa and Alex rose within the organization from the factory floor to co-CEOs and led the company’s global growth both technically and through strong brand partnerships with some of the most well-known companies in the apparel industry. The resulting growth allowed the Batards to safely exit the company in 2006. Lisa and Alex then founded RAJ Capital as their first investment platform and further expanded and diversified their business and professional pursuits to include Revitate and other ventures.
Lisa Birdsall Merage (Governor)
Founder of RAJ Capital
Chief Impact Officer and Managing Partner, Revitate
Lisa Merage is the CEO of Revitate, a diversified investment platform that supports high-potential strategies in real estate, sports, and consumer brands, built on the tradition and success of the RAJ Capital family of investment offices. Managing Partner and Chief Impact Officer.
With her family, Lisa co-owns Sacramento Basketball Holdings LLC, which owns the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Golden 1 Center, the Downtown Commons entertainment district, and subsidiaries such as the Sacramento RiverCats (AAA Baseball) and the Stockton Kings (USA). I am a person. -League) and Kingsguard (NBA2k).
RAJ Capital was founded after the successful sale of RAJ Swim, the family’s 50-year-old women’s swimwear business, to private equity. Lisa served as co-CEO of RAJ Swim from 2006 to 2016. In 2009, she launched her LUXE by Lisa Vogel, a luxury swimwear collection sold at luxury retailers such as Neiman Her Marcus and Saks Fifth Her Avenue. LUXE by Lisa Vogel was named “Designer of the Year” at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim Presents in 2012. Lisa has appeared on numerous fashion and business television shows including CBS, E! Entertainment Television, NBC, FOX. She participated as a panelist on BUZZ: An Executive Women’s Think Tank and received the 2015 “Women in Business” award from the Orange County Business Journal. She served as the keynote speaker at her 2016 event.
With a philanthropic passion for both the arts and education, Lisa serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Museum of Art and is involved with the Segerstrom Center as an Angel of the Arts. She has served on the boards of both Sage Hill High School and St. Mary’s IB World School, and currently she serves on the board of JSerra Catholic High School. In 2015, she received the “Altrist of the Year” award from Modern Her Luxury magazine. Lisa also served as chair of the board of Gen Next, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education reform, economic growth, and national security.
Lisa is a graduate of USC’s Marshall School of Business and holds a certificate in social impact strategy from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married to her husband Richard Merage and resides in Newport Beach with her five sons.
Alex Birdsall (Acting Governor)
Founder of RAJ Capital
Revitate Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner
Executive Director, Sacramento Basketball Holdings
Alex Bhathal serves as Managing Partner and Founder of Revitate, where he leads the firm’s investment efforts in Opportunity Zone development, workforce housing, sports-focused real estate, and the consumer growth business he co-founded with the NFL. He is also a senior operating partner of the fund Rx3 Growth Partners. Starring Aaron Rodgers.
He co-owns Sacramento Basketball Holdings, which owns the Sacramento Kings (NBA), Golden 1 Center, the Downtown Commons entertainment district, and other subsidiaries including the Sacramento RiverCats (AAA Baseball) and the Stockton Kings (G League). He is also an executive officer. ) and Kingsguard (NBA2k). He has played an active role in several important areas including:
- Board governance
- corporate strategy
- Financial planning and reporting
- Real estate development/asset management
- Social Impact – Team Up for Change, 2023 Kings Representative
He is nationally recognized as a leader in Opportunity Zone development and was named “Opportunity Zone Investor of the Year” by Grove Street in 2019 and the Orange County Business Journal’s “Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2023. I received an award.
Alex is a director of Compass Diversified (NYSE: CODI) and Mark IV Capital.
Alex is a long-time member of YPO and holds a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MBA from the University of Southern California, and a graduate of the President’s Program in Leadership at Harvard Business School.