NFL franchises are so incredibly valuable and so rarely go on sale that they always fetch huge prices. But one owner is hoping to make the value of his own team skyrocket by selling a tiny sliver of his franchise.
According to ProFootballTalk, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is selling a one-percent stake in the team to billionaire Lin Bin with a valuation of $12.5 billion. Per the report, Ross has received $125 million for that piece.
Ross previously sold 13-percent of the team at a $8.1 billion valuation some years ago but still owns the controlling interest in the team. Per the report, he intends to pass it down to his family upon his passing. Ross is 85.
The $12.5 billion valuation on the Dolphins shatters the record for a team valuation previously held by the New York Giants. Julia Koch purchased a 10-percent minority stake in the team back in October at a valuation of $10.3 billion.
The Seattle Seahawks are currently up for sale and has been widely expected to secure the family of late owner Paul Allen somewhere in the area of $9-11 billion. But with Ross selling that piece of the Dolphins, it could drive the sale price well above $12 billion.
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NFL Teams on the Open Market
The most significant recent NFL ownership transaction was the sale of the Washington Commanders, one of the most high-profile ownership changes in league history. Josh Harris, a private equity veteran and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, led a group that purchased the Commanders from Dan Snyder for a record $6.1 billion (at the time the largest acquisition in NFL history).
Since then, franchise values have continued to skyrocket. The average NFL franchise is now worth $7.65 billion, an 18-percent jump from the prior year, with eleven teams now valued at $8 billion or more. Rather than full franchise sales, the recent trend has shifted toward minority stake transactions, with the Philadelphia Eagles selling an eight-percent stake at an $8.3 billion valuation and other teams following suit.
The biggest structural shift driving these minority sales was the NFL's landmark decision to open its doors to private equity. In August 2024, NFL owners voted 31-1 to allow private equity firms to buy passive minority stakes in franchises, making the NFL the last of the major U.S. pro leagues to allow institutional investors. Under the new rules, up to 10-percent of a team can be owned by private equity funds, with each stake being at least three-percent, and funds required to hold their investment for a minimum of six years.