• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Ian Rapoport Says True NFL Team Valuations Are ‘Infinite’

  • Valuations are rocketing so high that the NFL is likely to allow private equity investment.
  • Rapoport recently joined “Front Office Sports Today.”
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week, the Cowboys became the first sports team to be valued at more than $10 billion. But to longtime NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, the true number could be far higher.

“I never quite can tell what any of that really means, honestly,” Rapoport told Front Office Sports Today. “How do you value the Cowboys? Infinite. Like if they were actually on the market, I couldn’t even guess what the price would be. I maybe couldn’t even count that high.”

Rapoport was responding to questions about private equity; NFL owners are set to change their rules to allow PE investment in teams as soon as this fall. (Rapoport is a reporter for the league-owned NFL Media.) The owners are cracking the door to institutional investors in part because the valuations have gotten so expensive that hardly any individuals remain who can afford to buy NFL teams on their own. As Rapoport put it, “With the price getting so high … opening the door to private equity makes sense because it’ll help get the value to probably where it should be.”

He was skeptical that new rules allowing the PE money would have a major impact on teams beyond that.

“I don’t think it’ll trickle down into how teams operate because teams have a lot of cash anyway,” he said. “And I feel like the teams who don’t have a lot of cash aren’t going to be the teams that—not that there’s even a lot of those teams, but they’re probably not going to be the ones that’ll take on those investments.”

Rapoport hit on every hot topic of the NFL preseason, from Guardian Caps to the new kickoff to the high-profile contract standoffs with the Jets and Cowboys. You can listen to the full FOS Today interview here.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of the Denver Broncos helmet against the New Orleans Saints during warmups at Caesars Superdome.

Broncos Eye 2031 Opening for New Multibillion-Dollar Stadium

The NFL team plans a new venue and mixed-use development.

Networks Set NFL Ratings Records As New Measurements Begin

Network viewership soars on the NFL’s opening Sunday.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.

WNBA Hits 3M Attendance Milestone in Season’s Final Week

The WNBA extended the season to a record 44 games this year.

Featured Today

opinion

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.
September 3, 2025

Ohio State–Texas Showdown Was Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game Ever

Fox drew 16.62 million viewers on Saturday afternoon.
September 2, 2025

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

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