CAA and ESPN alum Courtney Carter has been tapped as chief revenue officer for Seattle’s professional soccer teams, Sounders FC and Reign FC.
Carter’s appointment comes on the heels of a transaction completed last month financed through an investment from private equity giant Carlyle that brought the Seattle Reign FC women’s soccer team under the same umbrella as the Seattle Sounders FC men’s soccer team. The deal reflects two big trends in U.S. sports: Growing demand for professional soccer and for women’s sports in particular. The Sounders FC are affliated with Major League Soccer while Reign FC is aligned with National Women’s Soccer League.
Carter’s background in sports marketing and branding is a natural fit with the Sounders and Reign ownership group’s goal of vastly expanding corporate partnerships, ticket sales as well as beefing up business opportunities at the clubs’ Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse in Renton, Wash. She grew up in the Portland, Ore., area, so she’s no stranger to the Pacific Northwest and what’s more, Carter was a standout soccer player during her time at Oregon State University.
“Courtney’s recruitment back to the Pacific Northwest reflects the extraordinary opportunity we have as an organization in this moment,” said Hugh Weber, president of business operations for Sounders and Reign. “As Chief Revenue Officer across Sounders FC and Reign FC along with our wider business enterprise, Courtney possesses a collection of attributes that make her uniquely qualified to lead our efforts. Her extensive experience in building high-growth organizations, her passion for positive outcomes for our fans, partners, and community, along with her roots in our region and sport make me incredibly excited that she is committed to our mission.”
Carter most recently ran the Carter Media Group shingle, which focused on media and brand management for a range of clients. Before that, Carter was an agent in CAA’s TV, digital and brand partnerships group, where she worked on packaging and selling programs and branded content campaigns across multiple platforms. Earlier in her career, Carter served as director of sports management and branded content at ESPN. She also worked for Madison Square Garden and Major League Soccer / Soccer United Marketing.
“Returning to the Pacific Northwest is a bit of a full-circle moment as it is where I fell in love with the game and learned so many life lessons along the way,” said Carter. “This is an exceptional moment in time where sport, specifically the global game of soccer, is at the center of culture. There is nothing more powerful than the ability to unify through sport, and drive movements towards a brighter and inspirational future. I can’t wait to be a part of these two historic championship clubs and their dedicated communities.”