Arctos, a private equity firm, will purchase a 3% stake in the Cleveland Browns, according to multiple reports.
Private equity firms’ entry into NFL ownership represents a recent trend. The league approved the sale of such small stakes in August of 2024. Such a move allows owners to tap into almost instant cash liquidity.
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While it’s difficult to know what the Browns are currently worth, recent valuations from Forbes – $6.4 billion – and CNBC – $7.15 billion – could provide $192 million-$214.5 million in cash.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam talks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the Cleveland Browns groundbreaking ceremony for the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park, Ohio, on April 30, 2026.
Given the investment the team is making in a new facility in Brook Park and a degree of uncertainty that surrounds a portion of the financing courtesy of a lawsuit tying up the use of unclaimed funds, the move could prove significant.
The Browns previously sold a 0.1% ownership stake in the team to Pro Football Hall of Fame member Charles Woodson. It was later undone due to Woodson’s ownership of a liquor company.
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Arctos owns parts of more than 30 professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers and the Buffalo Bills in the NFL.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Arctos private equity firm set to buy stake in Cleveland Browns
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