Tom Brady is officially APPROVED as Las Vegas Aces minority owner

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Birmingham City minority partner, cryptocurrency pitchman, health guru, future Fox Sports announcer and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady has been approved as a minority owner of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces.

Brady and the Aces announced March 23 he purchased a minority share in the club, but no specific information was provided at the time. League approval appeared to be a formality because WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert issued a statement praising the acquisition.

Las Vegas hopes to repeat its league championship when the Aces open a best-of-five series Sunday against the New York Liberty.

Brady’s investment in the Aces comes at an extraordinary time for the WNBA. The league is coming off its most-watched regular season in 21 years and reached a 13-year high in attendance. What’s more, the 2023 WNBA Draft’s Nielsen ratings soared 42 percent, averaging 850,000 viewers.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is the Aces’ majority owner. Brady has also agreed to purchase a minority stake of the NFL club, but new league rules have apparently complicated his approval process. The NFL recently installed a new no-equity policy that prevents employees who aren’t family members from receiving a stake in teams.

Jim Gray (left), Tom Brady (center) and Mark Davis (right) attend an Aces game in May of 2022

Brady talks with Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum, who is the wife of Giants star Darren Waller

Brady isn’t technically a Raiders employee just yet, but as Pro Football Talk reported in July, Davis had planned to employee the 45-year-old in some capacity as part of the deal. Davis reportedly informed other owners of this plan at league meetings.

Now, since the no-equity rule was adopted, Davis’s hopes of employing Brady and selling him a portion of the team have been complicated, considerably.

Brady previously told the Associated Press that the chance to own part of an NFL team was a ‘dream come true,’ but cautioned that he only planned to play a ‘passive role’ with the team.

‘If I’m looking over the course of my life, to have the opportunity to be involved in the NFL is a dream come true,’ Brady said. ‘And if I could help the NFL and continue to contribute in a positive way, then you know, that’s been a very enjoyable part of my life.’

An NFL spokesman did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for an update on Brady’s approval process with the league.

Aces guard Jackie Young drives to the basket against Dallas forward Satou Sabally

The Aces are returning to the WNBA Finals for a best-of-five series with the New York Liberty

The Las Vegas Aces fans celebrate after the Aces’ playoff victory over the Dallas Wings

Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attended an Aces game on May 31, 2022, and later sent Las Vegas star Kelsey Plum a jersey and other gifts.

‘I am very excited to be part of the Las Vegas Aces organization,’ Brady said in a statement when the original announcement was made.

‘My love for women’s sports began at a young age when I would tag along to all my older sisters’ games. They were by far the best athletes in our house! We celebrated their accomplishments together as a family, and they remain a great inspiration to me.

‘I have always been a huge fan of women’s sports, and I admire the work that the Aces’ players, staff, and the WNBA continue to do to grow the sport and empower future generations of athletes. To be able to contribute in any way to that mission as a member of the Aces organization is an incredible honor.’