New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is expanding his sports portfolio by purchasing a significant share of an English soccer club.
It was announced Monday that Johnson has purchased a reported 43 percent share in Crystal Palace FC, a Premier League team based in London. The deal was reportedly worth roughly $254 million.
John Textor has sold his shares worth 43% in Crystal Palace to New York Jets' owner Woody Johnson in a deal worth more than £190m 💰 pic.twitter.com/uSmewHa6lF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 23, 2025
Johnson will not be in control of the club. That role will remain with Steve Parish, who has been the club’s chairman since 2010. However, a 43 percent share of ownership is significant, so it figures that Johnson will have at least some say over how the club is run. Whether that is a good thing or not may depend on one’s point of view, as Johnson’s ownership of the Jets has been met with significant criticism.
Johnson has longstanding ties to the United Kingdom, and was actually Donald Trump’s ambassador to the UK during Trump’s first term as president. There had been some belief he might regain the position after Trump won a second term, but that did not wind up happening.
Crystal Palace is not one of the traditional powerful clubs in English soccer, but did just win their first ever FA Cup this season. That was the first major trophy in the club’s 119-year history.
