Ryan Reynolds’ latest investment in the sports world is a throwback of sorts.
Homage, the sports and licensed apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio, has received a strategic investment of capital from Reynolds’ company, Maximum Effort Investments. As the lead investor in this round, Maximum Effort’s infusion will allow Homage to create more business with its current license grantors, expand its production capacity and invest in new technologies.
Homage specializes in vintage-styled sports apparel, with licenses from several major sports organizations including the NBA, NFL, the WNBA, Major League Baseball and WWE. It also creates clothes inspired by pop culture such as The Sandlot, The Big Lebowski and many other classic films and TV shows. Though it may appear in the same lane as other authentic “throwback” apparel makers, such as Mitchell & Ness and Ebbets Field Flannels, Homage separates itself by placing active athletes in the vintage aesthetic.
“The highlight of my 17 years building HOMAGE is seeing how our customers express their passions and build community through our products,” company founder and CEO Ryan Vesler said in a statement. “Maximum Effort’s capabilities and commitment to spreading joy by telling authentic stories will only help us grow that community further.”
“Homage exists to tell stories that move people—one t-shirt, one hoodie, and one Starter jacket at a time,” Ricky Engelberg, Maximum Effort Investments’ head of sports, said. “At Maximum Effort, this aligns perfectly with our mission of bringing people together in smart, fun, unexpected ways.”
The Homage deal is just the second investment made by the Vancouver, British Columbia native that was announced this week. On Monday, Reynolds and fellow actor/investor Rob McElhenney officially purchased a minority share in Liga MX Club Nexaca, and the duo arranged a reciprocal investment into Wrexham by some of Nexaca’s backers.
Reynolds has a vast investment history, which includes Mint Mobile and Aviation Gin, but sports have made up a sizeable part of his portfolio. In addition to Wrexham AFC and now Nexaca, Reynolds holds an equity stake in Fubo, the sports-based streaming service, and, along with McElhenney, a 24% stake in Alpine’s Formula 1 team. He withdrew a bid for Ottawa Senators in 2023 when the NHL team was put up for sale by the family of the late Eugene Melnyk.
A representative of Maximum Effort will join Homage’s board to provide strategic and creative resources. Similar arrangements were made for many of Reynolds’ past and current investments as he produced and starred in multiple ad campaigns for those brands.