• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
The biggest names in sports media. All in one room. Get your ticket now!

NFL Ready to Break New Ground With Private Equity Investment Vote

  • The league is poised to make official a long-awaited embrace of private equity.
  • The NFL’s own success and franchise value growth have raised the urgency around the issue.
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

EAGAN, Minn. — The NFL is set to make league and sports industry history Tuesday, even if the outcome has been increasingly a foregone conclusion.

The league will hold a special meeting here, where a vote is expected to formally approve the introduction of private equity in team ownership. The result of months of study and consideration, the move will make the NFL the last, but the largest and most notable, of the major U.S. sports leagues, to allow this type of outside investment.

It’s anticipated that private equity firms will be initially capped at 10% of a team’s equity—below other comparable leagues that allow up to 30%. The institutional investors will also be required to be entirely passive and not hold any voting rights with teams. 

“We believe that would be something that could make sense for us in a limited fashion,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said last month regarding the introduction of private equity. “That would be something we think could complement our ownership and support our ownership policies.”

Victim of Its Own Success

Even as the NFL has taken a more measured path toward allowing private equity, the need for this vote has become increasingly urgent. The Commanders sold for $6.05 billion last year, a figure that could soon look quaintly small amid the league’s continued growth. Already, the NBA is potentially taking aim at the Commanders’ figure with the forthcoming sale of the Celtics

Those soaring valuations have made it increasingly difficult for even the wealthiest individuals to meet traditional NFL ownership and liquidity requirements—led by the primary investor having at least 30% equity in a team purchase and a cap on ownership groups at 25 people. 

Several NFL teams are expected to take immediate advantage of the new private equity provisions and close deals before the end of the year. Those individual transactions will still require vetting and approval by the league. 

Heavyweight Roster

It’s also expected the NFL will disclose a list of approved private equity partners, a group that could include titans of that industry such as Arctos Partners, Ares Management, Sixth Street Partners, and a consortium of Blackstone Partners, CVC Capital Partners, Carlyle Group, and Dynasty Equity. 

Many of these firms have already been highly active across many other parts of the sports industry, including buying into teams in other pro leagues, concessionaires and hospitality firms, and stadium management entities.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.

NFL’s 16-Game International Slate of Games Nears Reality

The league will play a record seven games outside the U.S. this season.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.

NFL on Nielsen’s Latest Measurement Upgrade: ‘More Work to Be Done’

The league calls its relationship with the agency a “protracted journey.”

Featured Today

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.

Liverpool’s $598M Transfer Spree: End of the Title Race Already?

A deal for Swedish striker Alexander Isak highlights a record outlay.
September 1, 2025

The Big Money Behind Minor League Baseball’s Renaming Revolution

Teams are rebranding for local pride—and huge revenue.
September 1, 2025

Osaka Ousts Gauff As American Presence at US Open Dwindles

Gauff’s exit shifts spotlight to Pegula, Anisimova, and Fritz at US Open.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
Dallas Wings
August 29, 2025

WNBA Teams Desperate to Expand Rosters Amid ‘Extreme Hardship’ 

The Wings are scrambling to field eight players Friday night.
August 29, 2025

Who Are the Richest MLB Owners?

MLB owners are among the wealthiest people in the U.S.
August 28, 2025

Selig Backs MLB Salary Cap, but Warns Against Labor Fight

The league’s former commissioner cites salary-cap success in other leagues.
May 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban celebrates after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center.
August 28, 2025

Mark Cuban on Why NBA Expansion Isn’t Imminent

Cuban said the next CBA could help solve some expansion issues.