What Columbus Crew SC does

Columbus Crew SC is the first professional soccer club in Major League Soccer history, founded in 1996 as part of the league's inaugural season. The club fields a first team competing in the MLS Eastern Conference and operates a vertically integrated soccer platform spanning Columbus Crew 2 (MLS NEXT Pro developmental squad), a youth Academy, the Columbus Crew Foundation (501(c)(3)), and eMLS esports. Three MLS Cup titles (2008, 2020, 2023) anchor a strong brand, supported by a 20,000-seat modern venue (ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, renamed from Lower.com Field in February 2026), the first-in-class 42,000+ square foot OhioHealth Performance Center training facility, and the original Historic Crew Stadium.

The club's core technology stack is conventional for a modern sports franchise: a native iOS/Android app, Ticketmaster-integrated Express Entry facial recognition ticketing at multiple stadium gates, streaming through Apple TV's MLS Season Pass, and standard e-commerce for the Crew Shop. The proprietary technology is limited primarily to operational ticketing, fan-facing mobile experiences, and venue-level stadium systems rather than a software platform with external customers.

Columbus Crew generates revenue through four primary streams: (1) matchday ticketing — Season Ticket Memberships (annual subscriptions bundled with Apple TV and exclusive benefits), single-match tickets via Ticketmaster, group tickets (11+), premium hospitality (Skyview Club, Northwest Lofts, Patio 96, suites, theatre boxes), and the College Rush discounted student program at $22.40 per ticket; (2) broadcast rights shared via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV; (3) merchandise and apparel through the Crew Shop retail store and online; and (4) corporate sponsorships including the ScottsMiracle-Gro stadium naming rights (2026), Nationwide kit and minority ownership deal, OhioHealth training facility naming, Adidas kit manufacturing, and Apple TV broadcast partnership. Customers are primarily individual sports fans in Central Ohio, supplemented by corporate hospitality buyers, college students, and youth/family segments reached through the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network (31+ districts, 140,000+ students) and Soccer in Schools programs.

Name

Columbus Crew SC

Legal name

Columbus Crew SC

Website

https://columbuscrew.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Columbus Crew SC is a Major League Soccer club and the league's first-ever franchise (founded 1996), fielding a first team and developmental squads at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, generating revenue from matchday ticketing, broadcasting, merchandise, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Soccer Franchise

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)

Keywords

• Professional soccer team
• Matchday ticket sales
• Premium stadium hospitality
• Team merchandise retail
• Corporate sports sponsorships

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-match tickets, season ticket memberships, partial plans, group tickets, and premium seating sold directly to fans at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
2. Broadcast Rights: MLS Season Pass broadcast rights revenue shared with MLS and distributed through Apple TV.
3. Merchandise and Apparel: Sale of official Columbus Crew merchandise, jerseys, apparel, and memorabilia through the Crew Shop and online store.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Partnership deals with corporate sponsors including stadium naming rights (ScottsMiracle-Gro), kit sponsorship (Nationwide, Adidas), and venue partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Columbus Crew SC operates a professional men's soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS), including a first team, developmental team (Crew 2), and academy. The club sells matchday tickets, season memberships, premium hospitality packages, and team merchandise, while running the club out of ScottsMiracle-Gro Field and OhioHealth Performance Center. The franchise also operates community programs and is adding an NWSL women's expansion team.

Product overview

Columbus Crew SC is a Major League Soccer club serving as the first professional soccer team in league history, founded in 1996. The organization operates a multi-tiered structure centered on the MLS First Team competing in the Eastern Conference, supported by Columbus Crew 2 (MLS NEXT Pro developmental squad) and an Academy system. The club manages three key facilities: ScottsMiracle-Gro Field (primary 20,000-seat stadium with Express Entry facial ticketing), Historic Crew Stadium (original venue now used for training), and the OhioHealth Performance Center (42,000+ sq ft training facility with natural grass and turf fields). Revenue streams include matchday ticketing (Season Memberships, Single Match, Group, Premium Hospitality), retail (The Crew Shop), and community programs. The club's community initiatives span youth development (Academy, Soccer in Schools), education (Stay in the Game! Attendance Network), and environmental sustainability (Greener Goals). The supporter culture is anchored by the Nordecke section with 3,300+ safe-standing capacity, while the Columbus Crew Foundation manages charitable giving including the 50/50 Raffle program. For 2026, the club launched The Crafted for Excellence Kit jersey, premium hospitality spaces (Skyview Club, Northwest Lofts, Patio 96), and the Express Entry facial ticketing system. The club also hosts eMLS esports competition and maintains partnerships with Nationwide, ScottsMiracle-Gro, OhioHealth, Vertiv, and Adidas. A new NWSL expansion team is planned for Columbus in 2028.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crew 2: The club's MLS NEXT Pro developmental team for emerging professional players.
• Columbus Crew Foundation

Products and services

• Columbus Crew MLS First Team

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ScottsMiracle-GrocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 November 2025Columbus Crew and ScottsMiracle-Gro expanded their long-standing partnership with a multi-year stadium naming rights agreement, renaming the venue to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field from 2026. The partnership includes community initiatives, product supply, and educational programs such as Soccer in Schools.
• OhioHealthcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOhioHealth serves as the naming partner for the OhioHealth Performance Center (team's training facility) and as the presenting partner for the Crew Circle of Honor. Long-standing partner for nearly three decades.
• AdidascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdidas serves as the official kit and apparel partner for Columbus Crew SC, providing all team uniforms and merchandise.
• Apple TV / MLS Season PasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMLS Season Pass on Apple TV serves as the exclusive broadcast home for MLS matches including Columbus Crew games, providing streaming access to all matches.
• City of Columbus / Franklin CountyminorGTM or Marketing Partner$50 million public-private partnership including $25 million from the city and $25 million from Franklin County for NWSL team training facility, funded through increased stadium admissions taxes.
• RumpkeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbus Crew partners with Rumpke for Greener Goals Week of Service environmental initiatives and community recycling programs.
• TourismOhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourismOhio presents the Hell is Real Derby rivalry match against FC Cincinnati and supports the College Rush program.
• Local Bar and Restaurant PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor15+ establishments across Columbus area including Endeavor Brewing, Elliot's Woodfire Kitchen, Buffalo Wings and Rings, and others participate in Crew Pub Network to broadcast all Crew matches.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inter Miami CF: MLS club owned by a high-profile ownership group pursuing premium ticketing, global sponsorship, and star-player recruitment. Comparable on modern stadium economics and MLS franchise valuation dynamics.
• Atlanta United FC: MLS club that joined as an expansion side in 2017 and won MLS Cup in 2018. Comparable as a recent-era MLS franchise with strong supporter culture, modern stadium infrastructure, and high corporate-sponsorship monetization.
• FC Cincinnati: MLS Eastern Conference club based in Ohio and the Crew's in-state rival (Hell is Real Derby). Directly comparable as a professional soccer team competing in the same league and geographic region with overlapping corporate sponsorships and fan base.
• LAFC: MLS Cup-winning franchise operating BMO Stadium with similar premium-hospitality and ticketing strategies. Directly comparable as a contemporary MLS peer pursuing championship-level squad investment and large sponsorship deals.
• LA Galaxy: Most-decorated MLS franchise with multiple MLS Cups. Comparable as a historic, championship-driven MLS club sharing similar revenue mix (broadcast share, sponsorship, ticketing, merchandise) and league-wide commercial framework.
• Orlando City SC: MLS Eastern Conference club with strong supporter section (The Wall) comparable to the Crew's Nordecke. Similar matchday revenue strategy and league-wide centralized broadcast/sponsorship framework.
• Seattle Sounders FC: MLS Cup-winning club with an elite supporter culture (Emerald City Supporters) comparable to the Crew's Nordecke. Comparable on attendance-led matchday economics and strong community/grassroots engagement.
• New York City FC: MLS club co-owned by City Football Group, sharing similar league economics, broadcasting framework, and corporate-partnership monetization. Comparable as a top-tier MLS brand pursuing global sponsorship and premium matchday products.

Regional players

• Charlotte FC: MLS expansion club owned by David Tepper operating Bank of America Stadium. Comparable as a newer MLS franchise in a mid-sized market with major-league ownership backing and aggressive sponsorship monetization.
• Nashville SC: MLS expansion club in Tennessee operating GEODIS Park. Comparable as a newer MLS franchise pursuing modern stadium economics and premium hospitality in a mid-sized regional market similar to Columbus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/columbuscrewsc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWaD_J0qRubgPr9DV_x9-Jw
• Facebookfacebook.com/columbuscrewsc
• Instagraminstagram.com/columbuscrew
• TikToktiktok.com/@columbuscrew96
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-crew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus Crew SC