The National Football League (NFL) is a big business. The league generated an estimated $23 billion in annual revenue in its 2024 season and is targeting an increase to $25 billion by 2027, driven by new media deals and other revenue sources.
The league's growing revenue and popularity likely have many fans wondering whether they can invest in the business side of the sport. Unfortunately, that's not possible at the moment because the NFL is a private entity, as are almost all the league's teams.
However, people interested in investing in sports stocks have several options to consider while they wait to see whether the NFL or any of its teams complete an initial public offering (IPO). Here's a look at how to invest in stocks like the NFL.
Is the NFL publicly traded?
The NFL isn't a publicly traded company. It's a trade association with 32 member teams. The league has been a for-profit organization since 2015, when it gave up its tax-exempt status. However, the league doesn't retain its revenue. It shares the revenue it generates at a national level with member teams. Only one team, the Green Bay Packers, are publicly owned and run as a nonprofit corporation.
When will the NFL IPO?
The NFL didn't have an initial public offering on the calendar as of late 2025. The league might never launch an IPO. While it's a for-profit organization, it's a trade association with 32 member teams that share nationally generated revenue equally. Because of its revenue-sharing structure, the league wouldn't be valuable to public investors.
IPO
Is the NFL profitable?
The NFL is a multibillion-dollar business. The league generated about $23 billion in national revenue during the 2024 season, the majority coming from TV deals.
Although the NFL generates a lot of revenue, it doesn't keep that money; it shares its national revenue with the teams. They each received $432.6 million in national revenue from the NFL for the 2024 season (up from $400 million the year prior), so the NFL doesn't generate a profit at the association level.
The league is very profitable overall on a team level. According to CNBC, NFL teams produced an average of $127 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in 2024 (up 7.9%). The Dallas Cowboys topped the list with $577 million; the Detroit Lions were at the bottom with $27 million.
How to buy sport stocks similar to the NFL
Investors who want to buy one of these sports stocks can purchase shares in any brokerage account. Here's a step-by-step guide on investing in companies that operate professional sports teams.
- Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments.
- Search for the stock: Enter the ticker or company name into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
- Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
- Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
- Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
- Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.
The bottom line
The NFL is a large and growing business. Unfortunately, you can't invest in the league or most of its teams. However, there are many ways you can invest in the business of sports, including companies that own franchises in other sports, enabling sports fans to potentially make money from something they're passionate about.
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