Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa Bought an Italian Soccer Team — and Brought Cameras Along
Move over, Wrexham — Campobasso is stepping into the spotlight.
Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, co-hosts of Live with Kelly and Mark, are now also co-owners of Campobasso, a once-defunct Italian soccer team that’s climbed from the fifth division back to Serie C. Their wild journey rebuilding the team — complete with coaching chaos, player hunts, and overgrown stadium grass — is the subject of ESPN’s new docuseries Running with the Wolves, premiering July 29.
The couple’s love for Italy runs deep. Consuelos spent part of his childhood there and has long had a passion for Italian football. When approached about reviving Campobasso — a team that had no coach, no players, and only a maybe-functional stadium just 10 days before the season — he jumped in headfirst. Two back-to-back promotions later, the team is once again climbing the ranks of Italian football.
The idea to turn their story into a docuseries was born during those early scrappy fifth division days, but only gained traction as the team started to win. The series promises more than just matchday drama: it offers a look into the couple’s life off-camera, blending the grind of running a club with personal moments like real estate hunting and navigating marriage under pressure.
It’s not quite a reality show — Consuelos says they’d never do that — but it’s the closest thing, and one ESPN eagerly signed on for. With cameras now rolling behind the scenes, viewers will get a front-row seat to the couple’s off-air chemistry, their steep learning curve in soccer ownership, and the colorful chaos of Italian lower-league football.
And yes, the food’s better than in Wales.
If Running with the Wolves connects with audiences, Consuelos and Ripa are open to a second season. For now, the underdog story is just getting started — and ESPN viewers are invited along for the ride.
Review: A four-part ESPN series follows the married daytime-TV stars Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos as they pursue their side career, as part owners of an Italian football club https://t.co/0CN44mONs3
🆕 American actor and TV host Mark Consuelos will participate in this year’s Dempsey Challenge on September 21st in Lewiston, Maine. He will also host the Champions dinner the day before.
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Kelly Ripa on stage as she becomes a Disney Legend! She thanks Disney and her family — including husband Mark Consuelos and their children — during her speech!
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Congrats to the American-owned @Campobasso1919 for being crowned champions of Serie D, Group F 🇮🇹🇺🇸
The 105-year-old Italian club earned promotion from the 4th tier to Serie C. Club co-owners include actor @MarkConsuelos and the owners of new US club @_BrooklynFC. #prorel