NFL stars buy Osos de Monterrey, betting on Mexico’s love of American football

American football, which has been played successful Mexico for implicit 100 years, mightiness beryllium connected the brink of important maturation pursuing a large concern by a U.S.-based radical that includes immoderate large names from the NFL.

Former NFL All-Pro halfway Ryan Kalil and erstwhile NBA All-Star Blake Griffin person led a consortium of investors successful acquiring the Monterrey Bears of the eight-team Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA).

So… bought a shot squad with immoderate buddies. 🏈 Introducing OSOS Monterrey. A caller epoch of shot successful Mexico has begun—follow @OsosLFA @LFA_Mex pic.twitter.com/I39J4kRVKQ

— Ryan Kalil (@ryankalil) January 29, 2025

Previously known arsenic the Fundidores (Smelters), the squad has since been rebranded the Osos (Bears) by the group, which announced the acquisition of the nonrecreational squad successful precocious January. The terms was reported to beryllium implicit US $1 million, though nary nonstop fig was disclosed.

Other investors see immoderate NFL names well-known to fans: Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers); Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings); Julius Peppers, Luke Kuechly and Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers); and sports podcasters Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Eric Sollenberger.

The caller ownership radical marks a pivotal infinitesimal for the LFA, which has dilatory expanded from 4 teams since its inception successful 2016.

Though immoderate LFA players person a sprinkling of National Football League (NFL) oregon Canadian Football League (CFL) experience, astir of them are drafted from the ONEFA and the Conadiep — 2 long-standing, collegiate American shot leagues successful Mexico, with implicit 50 teams betwixt them.

Former NFL All-Pro halfway Ryan Kalil and erstwhile NBA All-Star Blake Griffin pb the radical of investors that bought the Monterrey shot team. (Courtesy)

LFA, meanwhile, has been established arsenic a nonrecreational league. Its maturation has been supported not lone by Mexico’s beardown collegiate system, but besides by the popularity of the NFL successful Mexico. Later this year, Mexico City is slated to big its sixth regular-season NFL game, though the Sports Business Journal precocious reported the crippled mightiness beryllium successful peril.

The NFL counts implicit 46 cardinal fans successful Mexico, according to ESPN, making it the largest instrumentality basal extracurricular of the United States — up of No. 2 Brazil and No. 3 Canada. Moreover, Latinos are the fastest-growing instrumentality basal successful the NFL.

The bluish metropolis of Monterrey, location of the Osos and conscionable a three-hour thrust from football-crazy Texas, boasts a colonisation of implicit 5 cardinal radical and has agelong been a hotbed for football, with fans flocking to spot collegiate powerhouse Monterrey Tech for decades.

The Monterrey Fundidors joined the LFA successful 2017, 1 twelvemonth aft the league was founded with 4 teams, each based successful greater Mexico City. The league present includes teams specified arsenic the 2023 and 2024 LFA champion Chihuahua Caudillos (Warlords), the Ciudad Juárez Jefes (Chiefs), the Puebla Arcángeles and the Saltillo Dinos.

Bolstered by an confederation with the CFL, the league has typically played its play from precocious February done April, culminating successful the Tazón México (México Bowl), though opening week this twelvemonth volition beryllium successful May.

The Osos are tied for 2nd successful the league’s abbreviated past with 4 playoff appearances, and they won the Tazón México successful 2022 arsenic the Fundidores.

“It’s been a truly breathtaking accidental to spot however [Monterrey] responds to football,” Kalil said successful an interrogation with ESPN. “I deliberation there’s a large accidental for america to physique a instrumentality basal that is excited astir us, and excited astir the LFA arsenic well.”

The newly-dubbed Osos volition beryllium the taxable of a documentary focusing connected the team’s journey. (Osos de Monterrey)

Under their caller ownership, the Osos volition not lone absorption connected shot but besides nutrient a documentary showcasing the team’s travel and the lives of its players. It aims to item the passionateness and dedication of Mexican shot players, galore of whom play for the emotion of the crippled alternatively than fiscal gain.

The LFA has a structured wage system, with antithetic levels of wage based connected a assortment of factors. The wage headdress for each squad is reportedly 2 cardinal pesos (US $98,500). Each squad tin person up to 5 foreigners positive 2 Canadians, and it’s those players who gain the most, followed by each team’s 2 designated “franchise players.”

Preparation for the 2025 season, which volition commencement successful May, is underway and included a draught of players, conducted March 1 successful Mexico City.

Additionally, the LFA is supporting the continued improvement of women’s emblem football, which is connected the emergence successful Mexico. In 2022, Mexico stunned the United States to assertion the golden medal successful women’s emblem shot astatine the World Games.

The acquisition of the Bears by the U.S.-based consortium echoes the acquisition of the Welsh shot nine Wrexham by American actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

The duo famously produced “Welcome to Wrexham,” an Emmy-award-winning FX documentary that has helped crook astir the destiny of the erstwhile lowly team.

Last year, McElhenney and Reynolds expanded their passionateness by buying a involvement successful Club Necaxa, a struggling shot squad successful Mexico’s apical nonrecreational league, Liga MX. That radical of owners includes histrion Eva Longoria, San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander, exemplary Kate Upton and NFL subordinate Odell Beckham Jr.

With reports from ESPN Deportes, Récord, AtoZ Sports and PR Newswire