The San Francisco 49ers could have a new minority owner soon.
A report from Sports Business Journal indicates the 49ers are “‘exploring selling’ a 10 percent stake at a valuation of more than $9 billion.” That means the 10 percent stake would cost the buyer $900 million.
The estimated $9 billion value would make the 49ers one of the most lucrative franchises in the world. That number was only eclipsed by the Dallas Cowboys ($10.1 billion) in the 2024 Forbes list of the most valuable NFL franchises.
That value on the market would also be a record per Pro Football Talk.
Team CEO Jed York in 2024 became the principle owner of the franchise after buying enough equity in the team from his mother, Denise DeBartolo York per NBC Sports Bay Area.
At the time York took over as the principle owner, the franchise was valued by Forbes at $6.8 billion. That $9 billion value is not only a massive increase from the previous estimation, but it dwarfs the amount previous owner Eddie DeBartolo paid for the club in 1977. That year he paid $13 million for the franchise.
It’s unclear why York is aiming to sell 10 percent of the club, and it’s unclear who he would sell it to. Although pulling in $900 million to give up 10 percent of the club doesn’t seem like a particularly bad idea.
It’s also not a guarantee any portion of the team is ultimately sold.
Per SBJ, “deliberations about the move are ‘ongoing and there’s no certainty they will lead to a transaction.’”