Private equity in the NFL has been very successful, commissioner Goodell said

Friday 24 October 2025 at 12.00
| Updated:

Friday 24 October 2025 10:57

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Private equity sales in the NFL have been “very successful,” according to American football league commissioner Roger Goodell.

It comes after the league voted to allow the sale of NFL franchise shares to the sector for the first time in 2024.

The stakes are limited to 10 percent of the franchise but are listed as passive, thereby eliminating decision-making rights for the company.

Ares Management bought a stake in the Miami Dolphins, valuing the Florida franchise at $8.1 billion, while Silver Lake’s Egon Durban and Discovery Land Company’s Michael Meldman own 7.5 percent in the LAs Vegas Raiders.

The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers have sold stakes to Arctos Partners and Sixth Street will soon acquire 3 percent of the New England Patriots.

“PE is a source of capital, a source of liquidity for our team, and they can invest back into their franchise, and that’s been a very positive thing for us,” Goodell said.

Private equity success in the NFL

Last August, the league said it “had been thinking about private equity for five years.”

“The list of permitted funds,” they added, “consists of Arctos Partners, LP; Ares Management Corporation; Sixth Street; and a group of consortiums including Blackstone, Carlyle, CVC, Dynasty Equity and Ludis (which is led by Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin).

“Direct investment by sovereign wealth funds and pension funds is not permitted. Such funds are permitted to be investors in private equity funds as a whole, but even then, their participation will be limited to a very small percentage of ownership.”

Sportico’s NFL franchise valuation list places three teams – the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants – at valuations of $10 billion or higher.

Each of the 32 franchises is valued at $5.5 billion or higher with all teams seeing double-digit percentage growth by 2024.