Private Equity Firm APEX Buys In On Northern Super League

The Northern Super League has a new minority investor.

International sports investment firm APEX has committed to multi-million dollar investment into the organization which Globe & Mail puts at up to thirty million CAD, starting with a twenty million investment that could rise a further ten.

Flashback: Northern Super League Shows Strong Fiscal Debut

The Northern Super League’s inaugural season saw it fly out of the gate as top five league for attendance in women’s sport, generating over thirty million dollars in league-wide revenue before consideration of media rights monetization while reaching a domestic audience of over three million through its broadcast partnerships.

APEX’s investment makes history as the first completed private equity investment into a professional women’s soccer league anywhere in the world.

The Northern Super League has confirmed that the new capital will be put towards the league’s next phase of growth, which includes commercial expansion, audience development, digital innovation, and international distribution rights opportunities for the ’27 season and beyond.

“In just one season, the Northern Super League demonstrated that there is significant demand for professional women’s soccer in Canada,” says NSL President Christina Litz. “This investment from APEX reflects confidence not only in the progress we have made, but in the opportunity that lies ahead.”

See Also: After Bright Star, NSL Eyes Expansion Into Western Canada

No formal mention of Winnipeg here, though that doesn’t mean that isn’t simmering on the league’s to-do list.

The press release from the NSL points out that the global market for women’s sports have grown in size by more than three-and-a-half times since 2022, inflating to approximately $2.4 billion dollars. From that, women’s soccer alone is projected to reach a value of $800 million over the next four years.

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming to Brazil in 2027, women’s football will get yet another boost through the increased spotlight of the tournament, too.

“The NSL delivered in season one. Now we are excited to help enable the next phase of growth,” adds APEX founder and CEO Antonio Cacorino.

The investment into NSL is the second time APEX has utilized its Sports Growth Fund, having already invested in the an NFL-backed professional flag football league. The fund is aimed to target strategic positions in small-to-mid cap sports assets valued between €50M and €500M.

APEX has also partnered with the BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team, Venezia FC, Baller League, and TGL previously.

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Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques