Twelve million dollars is the amount of losses recorded by Wrexham AFC, the Welsh football club acquired by Ryan Reynolds and his sidekick Rob McElhenney in 2021. In the first episode of the second season of Welcome to Wrexhama docuseries devoted to the entrepreneurial adventure of the two actors visible on Disney +, we can see the interpreter of Deadpool taking note of the sum and absorbing the shock as best he can.
“I’m going to vomit,” he told club advisor Shaun Harvey in dismay. But to hear the latter, these several million deadweight losses are not catastrophic. “The value from the global appeal that we have been able to create will offset the additional costs that we have created,” continues Shaun Harvey in the sequence. “People can see the value of Welcome to Wrexham…This is when additional sponsorship revenue can be generated. »
A story-telling genius
Obviously, it is difficult to imagine that Ryan Reynolds, whose business success is no longer in doubt, is surprised to lose money with Wrexham AFC only two years after his takeover. We will therefore attribute his apparent shock to his undeniable talents as a communicator, as well as to his acting.
Because with the takeover of this completely dormant club a few months ago, Ryan Reynolds wants to create a brand, and to establish this brand, he is keen to portray the story of a miracle. This miracle is that of the oldest football club in Wales and even the third oldest in the world, which, starting from the depths of the last division of the British championship, will rise to the top. Summits which, obviously, require heavy investments.
Shaun Harvey is right, since the recipe pays off. Wrexham AFC have already moved up to the English Football League which, comprising three divisions, precedes the Premier League in which the club has never previously competed. In any case, the fairy tale has already caught the attention of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the former Prince and Princess of Wales, who visited the team last December.