Entertainment business veteran joins Sounders, Reign as CRO

Weeks after formalizing their relationship with one another, the Seattle Sounders and Seattle Reign announced the hiring of their first joint executive on Thursday. Courtney Carter will be the organization’s new Chief Revenue Officer, bringing with her a host of experience in the entertainment and sports media industry. The Portland, Ore. native will oversee such areas as corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, and revenue-generating opportunities at Longacres like renting office space, retail, housing and both sporting and entertainment events.

“Returning to the Pacific Northwest is a bit of a full-circle moment as it is where I fell in love with the game and learned so many life lessons along the way,” said Carter, who played college soccer at Oregon State. “To say I am a product of PNW soccer is something that I am proud of, knowing it is where some of the greatest players to ever play were born and raised.

“Seattle is a rich and vibrant market with a history, heritage and soccer community. I’m grateful to Hugh Weber and Adrian Hanauer and their belief in the unique perspectives I can offer as we architect fresh and engaging stories and create core memories for current Sounders and Reign players, fans, members, partners and peers.” 

While details were a bit scant, Carter’s hiring does clearly point to leaning into the Sounders’ footprint at Longacres. From its inception, the idea was for it to be a live-work-play development and there are already plans to build an indoor music venue there. Hanauer and Webber have also talked openly about exploring the possibility of building a soccer stadium at Longacres, something her experience with the NBA, WNBA, MLS, Soccer United Marketing and ESPN probably leans into.