Sports franchises have seen a ton of new investors in recent years, drawing eyes to the NFL as a league that offers significant returns, given the financial health of the organization.
With that significant influx of cash, it appears Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys could be next in line to get a fresh injection.
Jerry Jones Open to Selling Piece of Dallas Cowboys
Jones has owned the Cowboys since 1989 and is nowhere close to thinking about selling the team outright.
The Cowboys owner said the franchise isn’t actively looking to bring in new investors at this time. However, he is not closing the door on future possibilities, and if he does, he would be willing to negotiate with billionaire Mark Cuban, who expressed interest in potentially purchasing a stake.
Cuban revealed, via the Dallas Morning News, that he is “sure our Harbinger fund would be open to it.”
Responding to Cuban’s potential interest in the team, Jones praised the billionaire.
“That’s exactly why, if you’re me, you would be open to that is because of the man,” Jones told the outlet.
“I have all the respect in the world for him, and I know what he did for the Mavericks and what he’s done for basketball. In addition to the financial boatstreams of your team, you want to associate with the highest quality of [a person] who loves the game and then also at the same time wants to do something about it. Mark leads the way in that.”
This sentiment echoes what Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones recently said in an interview with 105.3 The Fan.
“We wouldn’t rule it out,” Jones said. “But we’d also be very particular in who we would bring in as a partner in terms of that. But, yes, it was designed when [the NFL] passed that rule that you could have private equity involved in the NFL and you could have minority partners.”
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As both executives noted, the Cowboys would consider selling a piece of the most valuable sports franchise in the world, under the right circumstances, with the right investment partner. They’re not interested in simply selling a stake to the highest bidder.
Yet, the Cowboys’ owner admits that the ability to “attract capital” is a “very big positive.” After all, having more capital would allow the Cowboys to continue maintaining their state-of-the-art facilities and investing in the best methods to train and develop their athletes.
“It can only be at its full potential if it attracts capital,” Jerry Jones said while explaining how the money could boost the team’s internal operations.
“That’s what you’re seeing, and the league made it possible for capital to come in. And that, at the end of the day, is what makes it such a valuable thing called the NFL.”
Since the NFL voted to allow private equity firms to buy as large as 10% of a franchise, three teams have taken advantage of the move: the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers.
It wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the Cowboys eventually join that group, given Jones’s financial savvy. At last count, Forbes valued ‘America’s Team’ at $13 billion, placing it at #1 on the list of the most valuable sports teams in the world.
