400 million dollars on the table, some careful analysis and a front Oscar de la hoya and James Harden. When the tycoon Ted Segal bought the Houston Dynamo go through a rigorous process overseen by MLS. This Wednesday his club won the Copa de USA against him Inter Miami. The owner of the Texans says EFE how the fashionable ‘soccer’ franchise is run.
Son of a family that immigrated to USA from Ukraine, rye He runs an empire with his brother from his offices in New York. In June 2021, it invested an estimated 400 million to buy the Dynamo of MLS and the Dash of NWSL. To close the deal, he passed an interview to the previous owners, which was Oscar de la hoya and the star of NBA James Harden, which still has a percentage of the team.
In a long interview with EFE, Segal explains where the soccer business comes in USAthe strategic importance of investing in experiences parallel to the soccer match, the weight of Mexicans Hector Herrera, Diana Ordoñez and Maria Sanchez to strengthen ties with the Latin community of Texas and celebrates the growth of the women’s soccer league: “It’s about time we got to this point.”
Question: What factors do you focus on when investing in a sports franchise?
Answer: In my family we are sports fans, and ten years ago we were looking at investment opportunities. We saw a great opportunity in the growth of the sport. When we studied soccer opportunities, in the MLS, Houston caught our attention because of its size, it’s about to become the third largest city in the US, it’s growing, it has a very diverse population. He has a passion for sports.
They fill NFL stadiums, they fill our stadium in the playoffs, we have all the parameters you look for when you invest in a franchise here. Furthermore, with the World Cup on the horizon in 2026, many very important tournaments in the US in 2024 and 2025, then the possibility of organizing the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and the 2028 Games, we are laying the foundations to trigger enthusiasm for it. sport, more than we saw in 1994.
Q: What is the process of closing the Houston Dynamo purchase?
A: There are two parts. On the MLS side, they must confirm that you are a credible owner, that you have enough financial power to buy the team and also to maintain it. There are very strict financial controls. And then you meet the salespeople, who on the one hand interview you, and on the other hand offer you their views based on their experience in the league, something that I think is very useful . I created a relationship that I still cherish to this day.
From an operational point of view, it is a very long process to negotiate, analyze and understand what you are buying.
Q: You strengthened your ties to the Mexican community by signing Héctor Herrera. How do you appreciate ‘HH’s work on and off the field?
A: Having such a diverse community is a privilege. We have fans from many parts of the world. These fans have a lot of passion for the sport and great ambitions. Players like Herrera are incredibly important, because of the level of performance he shows. Their performance is an important reason for what we achieve.
Q: Since your arrival, you have invested a lot of resources to improve the fan experience at the stadium.
A: We want to create unforgettable memories for fans. We invested 30 million to improve our stadium, we changed 17,000 seats to make them better material, to make the fans feel better in the heat. We will create a new seating area to give fans a better experience at the foot of the field. We will also bring new culinary experiences to the stadium, with twelve new restaurants.
And we also want to have an impact on the community. We represent an important community and have a platform that allows us to make an impact. From the very beginning we wanted to support charitable initiatives.
Q: The NWSL (US women’s soccer league) has posted huge numbers over the years. How do you see this growth from the inside?
A: There is no doubt that there has been tremendous growth in women’s sports. The NWSL is a good example of this. Last year and a half we saw the Washington Spirits sold for $35 million, and then the co-owner of the Chicago Cubs (MLB team) bought the Red Stars for a much higher amount. A lot is invested in these clubs. For me it was always meant to be and we finally reached that point.
Q: Your family is Ukrainian. When did you come to the United States?
A: I was born in Saint Louis, but my parents and siblings immigrated from Ukraine. They were Soviet Jews who had emigrated in 1978, when there was a brief moment when they could move to the United States and other countries around the world. I am the son of immigrants who came here with nothing, 100 dollars, and built a great business and now my brother and I manage several of their places.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
