The 2025 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, but San Francisco 49ers’ owner Jed York recently turned his focus to his English Football Club, Leeds United FC. 49ers Enterprises, the business side of the American football team, owns the EFL Championship team, and York celebrated Leeds securing promotion to the English Premier League.
49ers Owner Has Ecstatic Message After Leeds United Secures Promotion
York is the son of 49ers co-chairs Denise DeBartolo York and John York. The family took over as the team’s principal owners after York’s uncle, Eddie DeBartolo, ceded control in 2000. York became CEO of the team in 2008, at 28 years old, and acquired enough of his mother’s shares to become the principal owner in 2024.
The team invested in Leeds United in 2018, but York was interested in soccer before that. He put money into Sacramento Republic FC in 2015 with hopes of moving them into Major League Soccer. 49ers Enterprises owned 44% of Leeds United until acquiring the final 56% in July 2023.
An ESPN article at the time of the acquisition stated, “Golfers Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas will also be minority partners, Spieth said last week, and on Friday, NBA star Russell Westbrook also bought a stake in the group.”
Leeds won promotion to the Premier League in 2020, but was relegated on the final day of the 2022-23 season. The club finished third in the EFL Championship last season, English football’s second tier, but lost the play-off final to Southampton.
The club has played extremely well this season and secured automatic promotion with two games left in the 2024-25 season. Leeds has a record of 27 wins, 13 draws, and four losses and has accumulated 94 points. They’re tied with Burnley FC for first place, but both sides will be happy they don’t have to deal with the play-offs.
York took to X to announce his pleasure with Leeds securing promotion.
Yessssssss!!!!!!!!!! #MOT https://t.co/V7pcNEqPJo
— Jed York (@JedYork)
He tweeted, “Yessssssss!!!!!!!!!! #MOT,” in response to a Leeds tweet about securing promotion.
The English Premier League was established in 1992 and is England’s highest level of club football. It was set up when multiple top-tier clubs decided to create a new league so they could have separate broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The EPL is technically not part of the English Football League, but teams are still promoted and relegated between the two each year.Â
The goal of every lower-tier football club is promotion to the EPL, as the financial benefit is unparalleled. The top two clubs in the Championship automatically move up to the EPL, with a four-team play-off to decide the final spot. Â
York and Leeds United will be hoping for a long stay in English Football’s highest tier. Success in the Premier League means an opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League, and a chance to be the best football club in Europe.
