Celebrities buying stakes in international soccer clubs and turning those stories into hit docuseries is quickly becoming a major sports media trend.
Take FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, featuring Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney (Mac). The show’s success has done wonders for both the club and the series, which just got renewed for a fifth season. That momentum has sparked spin-offs. Necaxa, premiering August 7, dives into Liga MX’s Club Necaxa and the star-studded group of investors behind it, including Eva Longoria and Mesut Özil.
And that’s before you even mention the new Prime Video docuseries chronicling Tom Brady’s ownership of Birmingham City.
But because one soccer doc isn’t enough, ESPN just announced that its latest original series — Running with the Wolves – will premiere July 29 on ESPN and ESPN+. The four-part series will chronicle daytime TV power couple Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, who have jumped headfirst into ownership of Campobasso FC, an Italian football club they’ve owned since 2022.
Set deep in southern Italy, Running with the Wolves tracks their rollercoaster ride with the scrappy Serie C side nicknamed the “Lupi” (Italian for “Wolves”). Since taking over three years ago, Consuelos and Ripa have breathed new life into the struggling Wolves and fired up their loyal fanbase.
Now, as the 2025 season gets underway, the pressure’s cranked up like never before.
Injuries pile up, a demanding coach pushes the team hard, and Mark and Kelly face mounting expectations from fans. With the club teetering between playoffs and relegation, every decision counts.
According to the release, viewers will get an unprecedented look at how Mark and Kelly juggle ownership, family, careers, and the dream of turning Campobasso FC into a winner.
“Running with the Wolves is a soccer story rooted in heart, determination, and never giving up,” said Consuelos and Ripa. “Campobasso FC represents the underdog that lives in all of us. Building the Campobasso FC project from the ground up has been one of the wildest and most rewarding adventures we’ve ever taken on, and we can’t wait for new and longtime fans to join us for this ride. We are just getting started!”
And so is the trend of celebrities staking their claim in the global soccer scene, while letting the cameras capture every step.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.