The NFL has approved its first-ever private equity investments, marking a transformative moment for the league. These groundbreaking deals, finalized during the owners' meeting near Dallas, involve two AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins.
Arctos Sports Partners has joined the Buffalo Bills ownership group with a 10% stake, while Ares Management has acquired a 10% stake in the Miami Dolphins, along with Hard Rock Stadium and the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. Bloomberg reports that the Dolphins' valuation for this transaction stood at an impressive $8.1 billion. The move further expands Ares’ robust sports portfolio, which already includes stakes in Inter Miami FC, McLaren Racing, and Atlético de Madrid. These approvals follow the NFL’s decision in August to allow teams to sell up to 10% ownership stakes to private equity firms.
The Dolphins have also welcomed new individual investors. Brooklyn Nets majority owner Joe Tsai and Oliver Weisberg, CEO of Blue Pool Capital, now hold a combined 3% stake in the team. Meanwhile, the Bills have added 10 new limited partners for the first time in franchise history. This group includes notable figures such as former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, as well as former U.S. soccer standout Jozy Altidore. McGrady and Carter, who previously played together on the Toronto Raptors, also share a familial connection as second cousins.
Elsewhere in the league, the Las Vegas Raiders have brought prominent private equity leaders into their ownership fold. Silver Lake co-founder Egon Durban and Discovery Land Company chairman Michael Meldman have each acquired 7.5% stakes in the team. This follows the recent addition of NFL legends Tom Brady and Richard Seymour as limited partners in the Raiders.
The Philadelphia Eagles also made headlines by reshaping their ownership group. Two family investment entities have acquired an 8% stake in the franchise, with the valuation pegged at $8.3 billion. The new partners include Susan Kim, chairwoman of Amkor Technology’s board, as well as Zack Peskowitz and Olivia Peskowitz Suter, children of United Communications Group co-founder and former Atlanta Hawks co-owner Ed Peskowitz.