It's been confirmed today that Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have acquired Welsh football club, Wrexham A.F.C. The team isn't exactly the most successful, playing in the National League (which is four tiers below the Premier League). The actors aren't paying anything upfront for the club, but have promised to invest at least £2 million ($2.64 million) into its infrastructure.
So, why would two Hollywood stars want to buy a mostly unsuccessful football club? Well, it's actually a pretty smart business decision. The plan is for them to cash in on the demand for sports content, with a documentary already in the works which will be along the lines of HBO's NFL series Hard Knocks or the Amazon shows revolving around teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
A series like that will finance the $2.64 million investment, and likely help turn the club's fortunes around (the more money they make, the better players they're going to be able to acquire).
Reynolds is also someone who can grow the club's following because he has a huge social media presence and is very much a master at marketing. If you're outside the UK, had you heard of Wrexham before reading this story? If not, then it's fair to say that the Deadpool star's plan is already working.
He's proven himself to be a great businessman outside of Hollywood in recent years, recently selling the majority of his equity in Aviation American Gin as part of a $610 million deal.