Welcome to Wrexham: who is Ryan Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively, does her company Betty Buzz sponsor women’s team?

Wrexham FC is currently the subject of a Hollywood success story, following the takeover of the Welsh club by film star Ryan Reynolds and TV star Rob McElhenney.

Since their takeover of the club in November 2020, Wrexham has gained promotion from the National League up to League Two, putting the team back in the EFL for the first time since 2008.

Rob and Ryan have spent around £10 million on Wrexham so far, buying new players, renovating the ground, and bankrolling the squad’s promotion celebration in Las Vegas, but Wrexham, like all football clubs, is dependent on sponsors.

Rob and Ryan have both provided sponsorship for their team through their drinks companies, but another famous face has also got in on the sponsorship action - Ryan’s wife, Blake Lively.

Who is Blake Lively?

Blake is an American actress from Los Angeles - she is part of an acting family, her father Ernie was an actor and acting coach, and her four siblings are also all actors.

The 36 year old is best known for her role as Serena in drama series Gossip Girl, and has starred in the films Savages, The Town, and Green Lantern. Blake met Ryan Reynolds on the set of Green Lantern, where he was playing the titular DC hero. 

They were both in relationships at the time - Blake was dating her Gossip Girl co-star Penn Badgley, and Ryan was married to Scarlett Johansson. However, in 2011 they were both single and began dating before marrying in secret in 2012.

Blake has four children with Ryan, three daughters and one son. She has taken a break from acting, her last film appearance was in 2020, and said that raising four children has been exhausting, though the star has not announced any plans to retire.

In fact, Blake is attached to four upcoming projects, including romantic drama It Ends with Us, which is currently in production. She is also rumoured to star in action drama The Husband’s Secret, sci-fi thriller Proxy, and romance The Making Of, all of which are in early stages of development.

Does Blake Lively sponsor Wrexham?

Blake’s drinks company Betty Buzz, which is billed as a healthy fizzy drink alternative, is the main sponsor of the Wrexham women’s team. 

Welcome to Wrexham season two features a special 40 minute standalone episode about the women’s team, which play on an inferior ground with almost no spectators.

The Wrexham women joined the men’s team in gaining promotion at the end of the last season, meaning that they moved up from the Adran North League to the Adran Premier, the highest tier of women’s football in Wales. 

This year it was announced that Betty Buzz would also become the official training kit sponsor for both the women's and men’s teams.

Speaking of the new deal, Wrexham co-chairman Reynolds said: Wrexham AFC co-chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds commented, “Betty Buzz pairs well with any beverage - whether it’s Ryan’s Aviation Gin or Rob’s Four Walls Whiskey.

“But if any of you pair it with Rob’s Four Walls Whiskey, Ryan will hunt you down and make you regret that choice. You can also just drink it alone! Anything but pairing it with Rob’s delicious whiskey.”

What other sponsors does Wrexham have?

Wrexham has had several famous sponsors since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club in 2020.

Their first main kit sponsor was TikTok, but the brand was replaced this year by United Airlines for the 2023/24 season.

SToK Cold Brew Coffee is involved in a stadium sponsorship, Ryan’s Aviation gin was a previous sponsor of the men’s training kits, and Rob’s Four Walls Whiskey is also involved as a sponsor.

Ifor Williams Trailers, the Welsh company that was Wrexham’s main sponsor before the takeover, remains involved as the team’s shorts sponsor in the new season.