The San Francisco 49ers could soon be adding a minority stakeholder to the team’s ownership group. According to Bloomberg, the 49ers are exploring the possibility of selling 10% of the franchise. The team would be seeking roughly $900 million for that 10% share, which would put the value of the team at a record-setting $9 billion.
The highest sale ever for an NFL team came in July 2023 when a group led by Josh Harris purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion.
If the 49ers do end up selling a small stake in the franchise, they’d become the fifth team over the past six months to make a sale. Back in August, the NFL approved a policy that allows private equity firms to invest in NFL teams by purchasing a small stake. The Bills and Dolphins became two of the first teams to take advantage of the new rule with both teams selling a small stake in their franchise in December.
The Eagles also sold an 8% stake in the team to an outside investment group in 2024. On top of that, the Raiders sold another small share in the team in December, just months after selling a stake to Tom Brady.
The Giants are also exploring the possibility of selling a small share in the team to an outside party.
As for the 49ers, the York family currently owns 97% of the team with Jed York serving as the principal owner. The 44-year-old York had been the team’s CEO since 2010 and he became the principal owner after the league approved the move in March.
The York family has owned the team since 1977 when Edward DeBartolo Sr. bought it for $13 million. The franchise is now worth $6.8 billion, according to the latest estimate from Forbes, but when it comes down to it, an NFL team is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it and the 49ers clearly feel that someone out there will be willing to give them $900 million for a 10% stake in the franchise. If that happens, the $9 billion valuation would make them the second-most valuble franchise in the NFL behind only the Cowboys, who have an estimated value of $10.1 billion.
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