‘World’s best fans’: Thorns, Fire owners host women’s sports summit at Nike

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two years ago, no one in Portland knew who the Bhathals were. Two years later, and it seems impossible to not know who they are, especially if you’re a sports fan.

Between buying the Thorns and the expansion fee for the Fire, they’ve poured in more than $180 million into sports in the Rose City since January of 2024.

On Friday, their company, RAJ Sports, hosted a women’s sports summit at Nike, where the brother-sister duo spoke to a ballroom full of attendees.

Although they have spent a lot of money in this city, they’re also seeing that return on investment.

“For us, looking at Portland, it kind of boils down to three words: World’s best fans,” said Lisa Bhathal Merage. “We already have more than 12,500 season ticket deposits, and we are outpacing the Valkyries at the same time.”

“I smell a rivalry,” retorted ESPN personality and moderator Sarah Spain.

“We’ve been tracking,” responded Bhathal Merage.

The Bhathals say beyond the fervent fandom, they see Portland as a perfect melting pot for innovation with two professional women’s teams here now and three key athletic brands calling Portland home in Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor.

“All the components are here,” said Alex Bhathal. “It’s really unique, and not to pick on other cities, but, like, okay, there’s New York and LA and the Bay Area, but most other middle-sized cities, they don’t have what we have here.”

The most notable celebrity speaker on Friday was South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley, who also echoed Portland’s uniqueness, harkening back to when she played in the WNBA against the first iteration of the Fire.

“I can remember playing in the arena, and it’s packed. They understood and were very knowledgeable about basketball. Of course they were biased,” said Staley with a laugh. “But they appreciated great play, great basketball.”

They also appreciate a well-run, collaborative franchise.

When asked what metric matters the most to him in terms of overall success, this is what Alex Bhathal said.

“Really, how we’re viewing this is we can’t blow this opportunity. There’s so much momentum,” said Bhathal. “We have to be able to execute the business plan so that all stakeholders can participate in the growth that’s so clearly in front of us. The way that we stumble is if we fail in execution.”