NFL Explores Foreign Team Ownership, Says Ex-Commanders President

Summary

• Former Washington Commanders President Jason Wright indicates the NFL is close to allowing foreign investment in team ownership
• Wright suggests the league will initially explore “partnership deals” with companies backed by foreign governments before direct investment

The National Football League (NFL) is reportedly on the cusp of opening its doors to foreign investment in team ownership, according to Jason Wright, the former president of the Washington Commanders. Speaking on a sports business panel last week at Gabelli Funds’ annual Media & Sports Symposium in New York, Wright stated that his “experience in NFL circles suggests the league is close to opening itself up to foreign investment.”

While sovereign wealth funds from regions like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have already taken significant stakes in global sports like soccer, golf, and auto racing, major U.S. leagues have historically resisted such direct foreign ownership. However, with the NFL’s continued business surge and its ambition for international expansion, Wright sees the diversification of its money pool as an “inevitability.”

Wright explained that the NFL, being a “slower mover,” will likely “test the waters” initially through large-scale “partnership deals with companies and brands that we know foreign governments are behind and supporting.” He suggested that once these significant sponsorships, such as naming rights deals at the team level or marquee league partnerships, start emerging, it will signal a direct investment from foreign entities is on the horizon. These discussions, he revealed, “have been happening in the background.”

Wright, who served as the first Black president of an NFL franchise from 2020 to 2024, emphasized that smaller leagues might see sovereign investment more directly first due to greater need, but the NFL’s move is a matter of when, not if. This shift could significantly impact the financial landscape of the league, potentially unlocking new capital for team operations and further international growth.