Not content with their wholesome and well-received takeover of British soccer – football, to those of us who know the truth – Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are extending their interest in sports having invested in the Alpine Formula One Racing Team. The pair have purchased a 24% stake in the F1 organisation, which competes for the World Championship.

On Monday, Renault, the parent company of Alpine, made an announcement regarding the investment of the two Hollywood actors, Otro Capital, and RedBird Capital Partners. The deal, worth 200 million euros (£171 million), has attributed a valuation of approximately £706 million to Alpine Racing. Notably, Alpine currently holds the fifth position in this year’s F1 constructors’ championship. Actor Michael B. Jordan, who is an owner of Bournemouth AFC, an English Premier League side, has joined them in the venture.

In 2021, Reynolds and McElhenney successfully completed their takeover of Wrexham. Following a remarkable victory in the National League title in April, the Welsh club achieved promotion back to the Football League, marking their return after a 15-year absence. Following a stunning climax to the National League season, Wrexham pipped Notts County to the league championship to restore their place among the top professional clubs in the English league, where they ply their trade. The ownership of football teams, particularly in the English game, has seen a depressing cloud cast over the sport.

Image via FX/YouTube

RELATED: ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Sets Season 2 Release Window on Hulu

Wrexham 1-0 Sportswashing
Entities and public investment funds from the likes of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have taken control of major teams across Europe, ploughing billions into teams which has seen inequality across the leagues, while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, controlled by Mohamed Bin Salman, the Crown Prince of the country, has purchased controlling stakes in four Saudi teams and given them unlimited funds to sign the biggest names in soccer in a blatant attempt at “sportwashing”, the process of using sporting success to disguise unsavoury issues that the country would rather were not discussed.

On the contrary, Reynolds and McElhenney have invested in a small profile team and, while their own profiles have greatly increased visibility on Wrexham and their abilities to gain revenue, they are not grossly overspending – and they have bought into the actual Welsh community, gaining plaudits for their passion and love for the game, and the town as a whole.

Mae Ryan yn fachgen Cymreig go iawn
Reynolds’ relationship with Wrexham, and Wales as a whole, has also resulted in a separate deal with Welsh public service network S4C which will see a ‘Welsh Wednesdays’ block on his Fubo channel in the U.S. The deal will involve S4C providing content totally six hours per week, broadcast in the Welsh language, which he will oversee on his Maximum Effort streaming net.

The content being provided will include drama series Bang from Joio and Artists Studio, Petrol Head (Welsh title Pen Patrol) from Rondo, Red Wall (Y Wal Goch) from Afanti, Wrexham Our Club (Wrecsam Clwb Ni) from Wildflame, Vets (Y Fets) from Boom and Gareth Bale: Living the Dream (Gareth Bale: Bwy’r Freuddwyd) from Burn Media. The latter is a documentary on Bale, considered the greatest Welsh soccer player of all time, who recently retired from the sport after a storied career which concluded by captaining Wales to their first World Cup finals in over 70 years.

Welcome to Wrexham, the documentary series produced by Reynolds and McElhenney which chronicled their initial days after purchasing the club, and their first season, was recently renewed by Disney+ for a second season, which will show their dramatic and storybook climax to last season. Catch the trailer for season one down below.