49ers Reportedly Selling Minority Ownership Stake at Historic $8.5B Valuation

The San Francisco 49ers are making some history this offseason

Sportico reported Thursday that approximately six percent of the NFC West team is being sold at a record valuation of more than $8.5 billion. Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico noted it is "the highest valuation ever for a global sports team in a transaction."

The NFL approved a rule in 2024 that allowed up to 10 percent of teams to be sold to private equity groups, but the 49ers are instead selling this six percent to three different families.

According to Sportico, the Khosla family, the Griffith family and the Deeter family are purchasing the stake. While the exact breakdown was unavailable, the Khosla family is purchasing the biggest stake of the three families.

The valuation of $8.5 billion comes after Forbes ranked the 49ers as the NFL's sixth-most valuable team in the league ahead of the 2024 campaign.

That valuation was $6.8 billion, which put the Niners behind the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants and New York Jets. 

While the NFL allowing private equity to purchase into a team opened up another potential revenue stream for clubs, the 49ers aren't the ones to go with the family route. ESPN noted in February the Philadelphia Eagles sold a combined eight percent to two different families with transactions that valued them at $8.1 billion and $8.3 billion.

However, the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins each sold 10 percent of their teams to private equity.

For now, the 49ers check in with the highest valuation, but that could change if a team such as the New York Giants—which is exploring a potential sale of a limited stake—is put on the market.