NFL: private equity firms authorised to acquire up to 10% of a franchise's capital

The owners of the 32 National Football League franchises met in Eagle (Minnesota, USA) and voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing private equity firms to acquire up to 10% of a franchise, according to the NFL on 27/08/2024. Only Mike Brown, owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, did not vote in favour of this measure, according to the American press.

The NFL is the last of the five major North American leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS) to authorise such investor entry. The ceiling set by the other four leagues is even higher, at 30% of a franchise's capital.

This potential equity investment is currently limited to players "identified" by the NFL, namely Arctos Partners, Ares Management Corporation, Sixth Street, as well as a consortium of five firms (Blackstone, Carlyle Group, CVC Capital Partners, Dynasty Equity and Ludis Capital). "Pending final approval, Arctos would be the only firm approved to invest in equity across each of the five most popular major North American leagues," said the fund in a statement issued the same day. Arctos Partners is a shareholder in the Golden…