Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals officially acquired by Miller Family for $600m | OneFootball

The Miller Family and Miller Sports and Entertainment has completed the acquisition of a controlling interest in Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals, according to a statement released by RSL on Friday.

The price was reported by The Athletic at $600 million, representing a 50% profit on the $400 million Smith Entertainment Group paid for MLS' RSL and the rights to re-launch the NWSL's Royals

David Blitzer, who previously partnered with Ryan Smith's Smith Entertainment Group (SEG) as the team's controlling ownershio group, will retain the second-largest share of the club. The SEG will no longer be involved.

Sale No. 2?

The transaction represents the second ownership transfer in RSL history this decade, after former owner Dell Loy Hansen was compelled to sell the club following a scandal in 2020 involving racist remarks he had made in the presence of team employees.

That set off a prolonged process that included league stewardship of the team, before SEG finally took over the club in 2022. By contrast, this transaction is pretty seamless, becoming official only three weeks after reports first emerged connecting the club to its potential new owners.

The Miller Family and Miller Sports and Entertainment previously owned the NBA's Utah Jazz for 35 years before selling the team to SEG in 2020.

Time to start buying?

It's unclear what immediate impact the sale will have on RSL's on-field operations. Since last year's summer transfer season, the club either traded or sold several key contributors to last year's playff-qualifying side, including attackers Chicho Arango (trade to San Jose) Anderson Julio (trade to Dallas) and Andres Gomez (transfer to Stade Rennes).

The Claret-and-Cobalt also sold Elias Manoel to Botafogo before he had a chance to make an impression in Utah, having acquired him only two months prior from the New York Red Bulls.

Salt Lake's additions have come primarily from domestic moves, but the primary transfer window remains open through April 23. The secondary window then runs from July 24 to August 21.