Buying a professional sports team can cost anywhere from hundreds of millions of dollars to more than $10 billion, depending on the league, franchise, market, and percentage of ownership being purchased. For the biggest U.S. sports franchises, a buyer may need several billion dollars just to acquire the team, before considering operating costs, stadium investments, player payroll, taxes, and other expenses.
The exact amount varies dramatically. A lower-valued professional team or club in a developing league might be available for several hundred million dollars, while a premier NFL or NBA franchise can command many billions.
How Much Does a Sports Team Usually Cost?
There is no single price for a sports team. Recent transactions illustrate the enormous range:
| Team or league example | Reported valuation or sale price |
|---|---|
| Sporting Kansas City | About $700 million valuation |
| Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals | About $600 million |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | About $1.78 billion |
| San Diego Padres | About $3.9 billion |
| Boston Celtics | $6.1 billion |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $10 billion |
The Sporting Kansas City transaction in 2026 was based on a roughly $700 million club valuation, while Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals changed controlling ownership in a transaction reported at around $600 million.
At the higher end, the Boston Celtics were agreed to be purchased at a $6.1 billion valuation in 2025, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers’ reported $10 billion majority-ownership transaction later that year.
These examples show why the answer to how much would it cost to buy a sports team depends heavily on which team you want.
NFL Teams Can Cost Billions
The NFL is one of the most expensive sports leagues in the world for prospective owners.
Forbes’ September 2026 valuations put some NFL franchises well above $10 billion. The Los Angeles Rams were valued at $13.5 billion, while the San Francisco 49ers were valued at $10.5 billion and the New York Jets at $10.35 billion.
That does not necessarily mean every NFL team would sell for exactly its estimated valuation. Actual transactions depend on negotiations, market conditions, included assets, debt, ownership structure, and league approval.
NFL ownership can also become considerably more expensive when stadium-related assets and other business interests are part of the transaction.
NBA Teams Are Also Extremely Expensive
NBA franchises have experienced enormous increases in value over the past several decades.
The Boston Celtics provide a useful recent example. A group led by Bill Chisholm agreed to purchase the franchise at a $6.1 billion valuation in 2025. That surpassed the previous record for a North American professional sports franchise at the time.
The Los Angeles Lakers subsequently set an even higher benchmark when Mark Walter agreed to purchase majority ownership at a reported $10 billion valuation.
For a buyer interested in a major NBA franchise, therefore, having a multibillion-dollar financial capacity may be necessary.
MLB Teams Can Also Require Billions
Major League Baseball franchises can command several billion dollars.
In 2026, the San Diego Padres were reported to be nearing a sale for $3.9 billion, which would establish a record MLB franchise sale at that time. The previous record cited by ESPN was the $2.4 billion purchase of the New York Mets in 2020.
MLB prices are influenced by factors such as market size, local revenue, stadium arrangements, media rights, team performance, and the long-term growth prospects of the franchise.
Soccer Teams Have a Huge Price Range
Professional soccer provides an even broader range of potential prices because the global market includes enormous European clubs, major American franchises, and smaller professional organizations.
MLS clubs, for example, can be valued below $1 billion. Sporting Kansas City was valued at approximately $700 million in its 2026 majority-stake transaction.
At the other end of the market, elite European soccer clubs can be worth several billion dollars. Forbes reported a potential 2026 transaction involving a roughly one-third stake in Liverpool that would value the club at around $6 billion, although that was reported as a prospective transaction rather than a completed full-team sale.
You Do Not Always Have to Buy 100% of a Team
One important point is that buying a sports team does not necessarily mean purchasing every share.
An investor can sometimes purchase a minority stake. Depending on league rules and the ownership structure, someone might buy 1%, 10%, 25%, or another percentage of a franchise.
For example, a 2026 transaction involving the Miami Dolphins valued the franchise and associated assets at $12.5 billion while an investor acquired a 1% stake.
That would imply a theoretical $125 million value for 1% of a $12.5 billion valuation, although the actual amount paid can differ because transactions can include different rights, assets, and terms.
Minority ownership can therefore provide a way to participate in professional sports ownership without purchasing the entire franchise.
What Other Costs Come With Buying a Team?
The purchase price is only the beginning.
A prospective owner may also need substantial capital for:
Player and coaching expenses
Professional teams have major ongoing expenses involving player salaries, benefits, coaching staffs, front-office personnel, scouting, training, and development.
A buyer needs to determine whether the team’s existing revenue can support these expenses or whether additional investment will be required.
Stadium or arena costs
A team’s relationship with its stadium or arena can significantly affect its finances.
An owner may have obligations involving rent, maintenance, renovations, capital improvements, or stadium-related debt. In some transactions, stadium or venue interests can also form part of the overall deal.
Business operations
Teams are large businesses with employees, facilities, travel expenses, technology, marketing, security, broadcasting operations, and other costs.
The owner therefore needs enough liquidity to operate the organization after completing the acquisition.
Debt
A franchise may have existing debt, while a buyer may also use financing to help complete the acquisition.
This is why headline valuations should not automatically be treated as the amount of cash a buyer must personally provide.
Why Are Sports Teams So Expensive?
Sports franchises can command enormous prices because they provide access to scarce assets.
In major leagues, there are only a limited number of franchises. A potential buyer cannot simply create another NFL or NBA team whenever they want.
Team owners can also benefit from valuable media rights, sponsorships, ticket sales, premium seating, merchandise, licensing, and other commercial opportunities.
The scarcity of franchises can make ownership particularly attractive to wealthy investors who want exposure to a globally recognized sports brand.
Forbes reported in 2026 that NFL franchises had increased dramatically in value since 2000, with the league’s average franchise enterprise value reaching about $7.1 billion.
How Much Money Would You Personally Need?
There is a major difference between a team’s purchase price and an owner’s personal net worth.
Someone buying a $1 billion team does not necessarily need $1 billion sitting in a bank account. Acquisitions can involve a combination of personal capital, investment partners, financing, and other sources of funding, subject to league rules and transaction terms.
For a controlling purchase of a major professional franchise, however, buyers generally need extraordinary financial resources.
A prospective owner also needs enough capital to handle unexpected expenses and future investments after the transaction closes.
Could You Buy a Sports Team for $100 Million?
For a major NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL franchise, $100 million would generally not be enough to purchase a controlling interest in a current top-level U.S. franchise.
It could potentially provide an opportunity to purchase a minority interest in some teams, depending on the franchise’s valuation and the terms of the transaction.
For example, a $100 million investment represents a larger percentage of a $500 million franchise than it would of a $10 billion franchise.
The availability of minority stakes is also limited and depends on whether existing owners are willing to sell.
What About Smaller Professional Teams?
Smaller professional teams can be substantially less expensive than major U.S. franchises, although prices vary widely and reliable transaction figures are not always publicly available.
A buyer evaluating a smaller club should look beyond the purchase price. Revenue, attendance, sponsorships, media agreements, facilities, league stability, player expenses, and local market conditions can all affect the financial picture.
A low purchase price does not automatically mean that the team will be inexpensive to operate.
What Is the Cheapest Way to Become a Sports Team Owner?
For someone who does not have billions of dollars, buying a minority stake may be more realistic than purchasing an entire major franchise.
Investment groups can also pool capital. In some leagues, ownership structures allow multiple investors to participate in a team while a designated controlling owner retains authority.
However, every league has its own ownership requirements and approval process. The amount of money required can also change substantially depending on the percentage being purchased and the rights attached to that stake.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to buy an NFL team?
There is no fixed price, but the biggest NFL franchises are now valued in the multibillion-dollar range. Forbes’ 2026 valuations included the Rams at $13.5 billion and the 49ers at $10.5 billion.
Can you buy part of a sports team?
Yes. Minority ownership transactions occur in professional sports. The size of the stake and the rights attached to it depend on the particular deal and league rules.
What is the most expensive sports team sale?
The answer can change as new transactions occur. In 2025, the Lakers’ reported $10 billion sale was described by ESPN as the largest professional sports franchise sale in the world at that time.
Do you need all the money in cash?
Not necessarily. Buyers can use different sources of capital, including partners and financing, depending on league rules and transaction terms.
Is buying a sports team a good investment?
It can be financially valuable, but it is not automatically a good investment. Franchise values can rise substantially, but ownership also involves significant operating expenses, capital requirements, business risks, and limited liquidity.
Can an ordinary person buy a professional sports team?
Buying a controlling interest in a major U.S. professional franchise generally requires extraordinary wealth. Becoming a minority investor can be more attainable, but opportunities are limited and still may require substantial capital.
Bottom Line
So, how much would it cost to buy a sports team? For a major professional franchise, the answer is usually hundreds of millions to several billions of dollars, with the most valuable NFL, NBA, and global soccer clubs reaching well above $10 billion in valuation.
A smaller professional club might cost considerably less, while a minority stake could require a fraction of the price of buying control. But the purchase price is only part of the equation. Anyone considering team ownership also needs to account for operating expenses, player costs, facilities, debt, taxes, and future investment.
For most people, owning an entire major sports franchise is financially unrealistic. For extremely wealthy individuals, investment groups, and institutional investors, however, professional sports ownership has become a major global asset class.