Watt and Kealia Watt’s Growing Sports Empire: From a Burnley FC Investment to $7.8 Million in Youth Sports Funding Across 999 Schools J.J.
The investment came just after Burnley won the EFL Championship and secured promotion to the Premier League. The exact size of the couple’s stake and the amount they invested have not been publicly disclosed. For J.J., the move combined two interests. He had followed the Premier League for years, while Kealia brought her own professional soccer background to the decision. The couple had reportedly spent around three years looking for a club they could invest in together before choosing Burnley. J.J. also spoke with Ryan Reynolds about his experience with Wrexham, as the Watts considered how sports ownership could connect them with fans outside the United States. Their approach to Burnley has also been noticeably hands-on. Instead of treating the investment as simply another name on an ownership list, the couple spent time learning about the town, its history and its supporters. J.J. even joined fans at local pubs and community events as he tried to understand what Burnley meant to the people who had supported the club for generations.
It has funded more than $7.8 million for youth athletic programs across 999 schools in 43 states and Washington, D.C, according to the foundation’s current figures. Its progress page currently lists $7,845,386.25 toward an $8 million funding goal. The scale has grown considerably.
Watt had already spent years thinking about what would come after football before he retired from the NFL following the 2022 season. After 12 seasons with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals, he had become a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and finished his career with 114.5 sacks. In May 2023, J.J. and Kealia announced that they had become minority investors in Burnley FC, the historic English club based in Lancashire.
J.J. Watt and Kealia Watt have found a way to keep sports at the center of their lives even after stepping away from professional competition. J.J. finished his NFL career as a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and one of the most recognizable defensive players of his generation, while Kealia built her own career in professional soccer and earned three appearances for the U.S. women’s national team. Their story is not simply about what two former athletes did with their money after retirement. It is about how they turned their experience, reputation and love for sport into something with a much wider reach. J.J. But retirement did not mean leaving professional sports behind. Kealia’s involvement brings another dimension. Having played in the National Women’s Soccer League and for the U.S. national team, she understands the development of women’s professional soccer from the player’s side. When the couple joined Burnley’s ownership group, she specifically spoke about wanting to help with the growth of the club’s women’s team, drawing on what she had seen happen with the NWSL in the United States.
Today, the couple’s influence stretches from English football ownership to television and, most importantly, a charitable foundation that has funded millions of dollars in youth sports programs.