Nationwide Mutual Insurance has reached an agreement to buy a 37% stake in MLS’ Columbus Crew at a $900 million valuation, according to multiple people familiar with the details. The deal is expected to close in the coming weeks and still needs approval by the MLS board of governors.
Last month, Haslam Sports Group, which owns the Crew, secured the 18th NWSL team for Columbus. The women’s expansion team ownership group also includes insurance giant Nationwide and the Edwards family, who are part of the Crew cap table.
The Crew declined to comment; Nationwide did not reply to an immediate request for comment. CNBC’s Mike Ozanian was the first to break the sale news on social media.
Nationwide is buying a 30% stake in the Crew from Jimmy and Dee Haslam and 7% from the Edwards. The Haslams will remain the control owners and largest stakeholders at 40%. Nationwide’s headquarters are in Columbus.
Columbus is one of the smallest metro areas with an MLS team, but the Crew have built a strong ticketing and sponsorship business that ranks in the top quartile in both categories. Total revenue was an estimated $93 million in 2025.
