From soccer team to lifestyle model: the case of Como 1907

Como Football, an Indonesian sports club that has risen to the top of Italy’s Serie A soccer league, is currently redefining the norms of a style that goes beyond the football pitch, and aims to stand out as an high-end lifestyle brand. A brand new conception of sport, fashion and luxury, as explained by Ryan C. Shelton, COO of Como 1907

by Massimiliano Viti

“We had purchased the Como club just to use it as a TV set. We had in mind to film some documentaries on Italian football for our Indonesian TV. Nothing Else”. With these premises, revealed by Mirwan Suwarso – president of Como 1907 – to Rivista Undici, a story began; one that goes beyond sports and prefers to see itself as a lifestyle project. The purchase carried out by the Indonesian brothers Robert and Michael Hartono – who sadly passed away last March at the age of 86 – dates back to April 4th 2019, when the club was in Serie D.

Nowadays, the club is fighting to earn its spot in the first 4 places of the Serie A. Over the past seven years, the owners have spent just under 300 million euros (source: Calcio e Finanza). Actually, that’s not a huge amount for the Hartonos, whose combined net worth was estimated at around 38 billion dollars. But while, from a sports standpoint, Como 1907 is a case worth studying for how quickly it has risen to such heights, it is even more so for the innovative project that it is currently carrying out. As explained by Ryan C. Shelton, Chief Revenue Officer of the company, during this interview.

A lifestyle platform

The owners aim to transform Como into a lifestyle platform strictly connected with the lake and tourism (and managed through the London company Sent Entertainment). Besides the sports club, there are companies that manage the activities of the Academy, the real estate properties, shops, digital contents and the travel agency. For instance, the Como Crest brand, specifically aimed at representing a lifestyle. In addition, there are sailing collections. Or, there’s the premium Curva line, which features a jacket priced at 4000 euros. It all revolves around the brand Lake of Como. Hartonos’ strategy is clear: the strategies that prove successful for the soccer team are applied to other divisions of the company, which, in the future, are expected to generate more revenue, compared to the sports division.

Football alone is not enough

Mr. Shelton, why does Como 1907 want to become a lifestyle platform?

Because football alone is not enough to build a durable and sustainable model, especially in a place like Como. Football brings attention, emotion and global visibility, but it is seasonal and results dependent. The opportunity is to build something that compounds beyond that.

How crucial, within this project, is the presence of the Lake of Como?

Lake Como already has global, emotional and aspirational value. The ambition is to connect the club to that world and build an integrated ecosystem, across sport, hospitality, tourism, media, retail and culture. If you only behave like a football club, your relevance is tied to fixtures and results. If you build a broader platform, you create more touchpoints, more revenue streams, and more reasons for people to engage with Como throughout the year.

How will it achieve this?

By using the football club as the engine of a wider ecosystem. The theme creates visibility and emotional connection. Around that, the club brings experiences, products, and platforms that allow people to engage with Como in different ways. This includes premium hospitality and destination experiences, tourism products that combine travel and football, media and storytelling platforms that extend beyond matchday, and merchandise and collections that live outside the stadium. It also includes gaming and youth culture initiatives that bring in new audiences.

Alongside this, the group is developing capabilities that can be offered to other clubs through a Multi Club Servicing model. That includes retail, content, and brand development, allowing what is built in Como to scale beyond the club itself. The stadium is part of this thinking, but not the limit of it. The real footprint is Lake Como. The aim is to create reasons to engage with Como throughout the week and throughout the year, not only on matchday.

How long will it take?

This is a multi year project. Some elements are already in place, but becoming a true lifestyle platform takes time. There are two timelines. The first is the near term buildout of the ecosystem, where new products, experiences, and businesses are launched and tested. The second is the longer term shift in perception, where Como is no longer seen only as a football club, but as a broader brand. Realistically this is a five to ten year transition, with meaningful progress happening well before that.

What is the overall project narrative?

Como is building a different kind of club model. Not by copying the biggest clubs, but by starting from its own strengths. Every club has a unique asset. In Como’s case, it is the place itself. The club sits in one of the most recognisable destinations in the world, with natural links to hospitality, design, culture and tourism. The project is about bringing those elements together in a deliberate way. Football drives attention, but the wider ecosystem creates value. Over time, that makes the club more resilient and less dependent on results alone.

What feedback have you received so far?

The feedback so far is that the project feels distinctive. People recognise that this is not a typical football growth story. There is strong curiosity around the ambition and the willingness to think beyond traditional club structures. What has resonated most is that extensions feel connected to the place. The more authentic that connection to Lake Como is, the stronger overall model becomes.

Among the many initiatives, you launched Como Ventures, a startup and investments platform managed by The Players Fund, the biggest venture capital company in the world, led by athletes. What results have you achieved?

The feedback has been positive because people understand that Como Ventures reflects the wider model. It is not an add on. It is part of the idea that the club should be a platform for building and testing new ideas, not just a football institution selling traditional rights. There has been strong interest from founders and operators who want to work with a club that is open to innovation and can offer distribution, visibility and brand. It is still early, so the focus now is on the quality of partnerships and whether they translate into real businesses and long term value for the ecosystem.

Is sporting performance still at the heart of the project?

Yes. Football remains at the heart of the project. It drives attention, credibility and emotion, if the football is compelling, everything else becomes more powerful. The team is the engine. At the same time, the club is building an ecosystem that is not entirely dependent on results. The aim is to create a model where football is the centre of gravity, but not the only source of value.

Do you intend to expand into other sports?

The intention is not to build a traditional multi club ownership model. The focus is on Multi Club Servicing. That means developing capabilities in areas like retail, content and brand, and offering those to other clubs. Expansion in sport comes through partnerships and services rather than ownership.

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