Local CEO, Kansas City native Peter Mallouk becomes new Sporting KC majority owner

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sporting Kansas City has a new majority owner, with Creative Planning President & CEO Peter Mallouk confirming to KSHB 41 Saturday that a deal was finalized in December to purchase a majority share in the club from the Illig family.

According to a report from Forbes released Friday, the deal is worth approximately $700 million, with the Illig family agreeing to sell 71% of their stake to Mallouk, while reducing their stake to under 10%.

"This is extremely exciting," said Mallouk on a phone call with KSHB 41 Sports Reporter Matt Foster. "This is really, really great. And I feel like our family will have an opportunity to make a real big impact on the Kansas City sports scene here going forward."

Mallouk, a Kansas City native and University of Kansas alumnus, has held a minority share in the club since 2022.

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He said conversations around this deal began a year ago and were finalized last month.

"With family, friends and outside of work, the thing you'll find me doing the most is going to a sports game, whether it's Sporting or the Royals or KU basketball, football, whatever, or a concert, or traveling," Mallouk added. "Those are my things. So every week you'll see us at one of these games. And so it's a love for Kansas City, a love for the sports in Kansas City, all of those things put together just an incredible opportunity.”

While Mallouk assumes the role of majority owner, Sporting KC said in a statement that the Illig family will continue to manage the club's day-to-day operations and represent the club on the MLS Board of Governors.

"[The Illig family]'s going to continue to – they made 100% of the decisions around this season," Mallouk said. "And I think the difference you're going to see, obviously, the next season is going to be a very big – you know, commitment to do whatever it takes to win. I know that they're doing that, but you're going to see, you know, a financial commitment to that too."

In 2025, Sporting KC finished last in the Western Conference and brought in Rapha Wicky as the team's new head coach following the firing of long-time head coach Peter Vermes.

Under Mallouk's ownership, expectations will be high for the club.

"This season isalready basically launched, but I think you can expect that I have 100% expectation of being in the playoffs every year," Mallouk added. "So for me, it's going to be a very, very big commitment. It's going to be going into every year. There'll be no such thing as a rebuilding year or an off year. It's going to be every single year. How do we compete? And then you'll see the financial backing to do that.”

Mallouk admits that it's unlikely to see an immediate impact from his financial investment in the club until the beginning of next season.

Still, he remains fully committed to ensuring the team succeeds both in the present and in the future. There's no chance of the club relocating under his ownership, either.

"There's a 100% chance that a move would not happen with the Mallouk family involved in this," he said. "There's also not going to be anything about even pretending to be unhappy with what's going on. We love our stadium, we love the city, love the team, and it's going to be here for this couple of generations for sure. Zero chance it would move. It doesn't matter what the economics would be.”

Sporting KC is currently in West Palm, Florida, for preseason training as the club prepares for its MLS season opener on Feb. 21 at San Jose.

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