Chicago Red Stars

What Chicago Red Stars does

Chicago Stars FC (formerly Chicago Red Stars) is a privately-held professional women's soccer club competing in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), one of the league's original founding members since 2013. The club is based in Chicago, Illinois, plays home matches at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, and is owned by an investor group led by Executive Chairperson Laura Ricketts and President Karen Leetzow. The roster features Olympic gold medalist Mallory Swanson, USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, and European-caliber signings such as Spanish defender Leila Ouahabi and German midfielder Anna Gasper.

The business generates revenue through three primary streams: ticket sales across single-match, season membership (Stars Next Chapter), flex pack, group, and premium hospitality categories; corporate sponsorships anchored by Wintrust (front-of-kit partner and largest partnership in club history, extended through 2027) alongside CDW, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, LaCroix, First Lady Cruises, NellaSpec, Sloan, Meijer, and Verizon; and merchandise sales via the online store. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the club website and ticketing platform, supplemented by NWSL broadcast distribution on CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, NWSL+, and Victory+, and StubHub for secondary resale. Supporting products include fan experience packages (Pride match, College Night, Together Strong match), the Future Stars youth development program, Supernova Shooting Stars Club, and community outreach in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago and Lurie Children's Hospital.

The franchise is undergoing a substantial operational reset in 2025-2026. Following bottom-of-league finishes in 2025 and 2026, the club rebranded to Chicago Stars FC, hired and subsequently fired Head Coach Martin Sjögren, dismissed General Manager Richard Feuz, and elevated Karina Báez to interim head coach. Sponsorship commitments and international player acquisitions during this period suggest owner willingness to invest in a sporting rebuild, though on-field results have not yet converged.

Name

Chicago Red Stars

Legal name

Chicago Stars Football Club

Website

https://chicagoredstars.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Stars FC is a privately-held professional women's soccer club in the NWSL, playing home matches at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. The club generates revenue from ticketing, corporate sponsorships (anchored by Wintrust), and merchandise, supported by youth development and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional sports entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Event & Tournament Sponsorship (Title/Presenting Sponsors, Official Suppliers) (MPAKALAB), Sports Events & Match Tickets (THAJAFAE)

Keywords

• Professional women's soccer
• NWSL match tickets
• Live sports entertainment
• Soccer fan experiences
• Team merchandise sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from single match tickets, season ticket memberships, flex packs, group tickets, and premium hospitality experiences for NWSL matches at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnership agreements with corporate sponsors including front-of-kit partner Wintrust, returning sponsors CDW and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, and new partner LaCroix for 2026 season.
3. Merchandise Sales: Official team merchandise sold through the team's online store including jerseys, apparel, and accessories.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chicago Red Stars operates a professional women's soccer team in the NWSL and hosts home matches at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. It provides match access through single-match tickets, season ticket memberships, flex packs, group tickets, premium hospitality, and fan-experience packages, alongside official team merchandise.

Product overview

Chicago Stars FC is a professional women's soccer organization competing in the NWSL. The core product is the professional soccer team and match attendance experiences. Supporting offerings include ticketing across multiple categories (single match, season tickets, group, flex packs, premium), fan experience packages with themed match events, the Future Stars youth development program with camps and the Shooting Stars Club, and community outreach initiatives. The organization also operates an official merchandise store. All offerings center on the live match experience and fan engagement rather than a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chicago Red Stars Professional Soccer
• NWSL Match Tickets
• Fan Experiences
• Official Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• Mallory Swanson's return in 2026 after 554 days on maternity leave provided significant boost to struggling team
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• First Lady CruisescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 May 2026First Lady, a 90-year-old family-owned river cruise company, is the official river cruise partner of Chicago Stars FC. Partnership focuses on elevated fan experiences with First Lady becoming presenting partner of Stars' Pride match on August 9 and offering exclusive promotional deals for matches and cruises. First Lady sponsors the club's pre-match 'Steam Starter' tradition.
• LaCroixminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026New partner for 2026 season joining the club's corporate partner roster supporting operations, athlete development, and community initiatives.
• CDWcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Returning sponsor for 2026 season as part of the club's partner roster supporting operations, athlete development, and community initiatives.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of IllinoiscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Returning sponsor for 2026 season as part of the club's corporate partner roster supporting operations, athlete development, and community initiatives.
• NellaSpeccoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Partner and sponsor of the club's 'Together Strong match' presented by nellaspec.com against Portland Thorns FC on May 3, 2026.
• SloanminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Corporate sponsor visible on official website with logo displayed among club partners.
• MeijerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Corporate sponsor visible on official website with logo displayed among club partners.
• VerizonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 March 2026Corporate sponsor visible on official website with logo displayed among club partners.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago Stars and Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago host their third annual youth soccer tournament at ComEd Recreation Center in Addams Park. Over eight weeks, children ages 7-13 learned basic soccer skills with focus on encouraging girls' participation in athletics. Program teaches cooperation, sportsmanship, and life skills extending beyond soccer field.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagoredstars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Chicago Red Stars