Ownership shifts reshape iconic sports teams as pro leagues expand and valuations surge in 2025

Two of the NBA’s astir dressed up franchises changed ownership this year.

The WNBA’s increasing fame has fueled plans for aggregate description teams successful nan coming years.

Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field, which forced nan Rays to play location games astatine George M. Steinbrenner Field — nan outpouring training location of nan New York Yankees — successful 2025 earlier caller ownership clarified nan team’s future.

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Growth successful U.S. women’s master shot further underscored nan broader effect sports had successful 2025.

Here’s a look astatine immoderate of nan biggest sports ownership changes, convention description s and different stories that defined nan year.

Iconic NBA franchises alteration ownership

In June, nan Buss family entered a acquisition statement for nan Los Angeles Lakers pinch Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter for a valuation of astir $10 billion. The fig represented nan highest valuation connected grounds for a U.S. master sports team. 

While nan woody transferred mostly ownership to Walter, nan Buss family retained a number liking successful nan franchise. Jeanie Buss continues to correspond nan Lakers connected nan NBA’s committee of governors.

Los Angeles Lakers proprietor Jeanie Buss attends media time astatine nan UCLA Health and Training Center successful El Segundo, California connected Sept. 28, 2021 successful Los Angeles, California. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)

The woody besides included guarantees giving Buss nan powerfulness to proceed overseeing nan franchise’s day-to-day hoops operations for "at slightest a number of years," ESPN reported astatine nan time.

Elsewhere, successful August, nan NBA committee of governors backed a Bill Chisholm-led investor group gaining controlling liking successful nan Boston Celtics. The woody was worthy astir $6.1 billion. The Celtics won nan franchise’s record-setting 18th NBA title successful 2024, surpassing nan Lakers for nan astir successful convention history.

MLB squad lands buyer

Real property magnate Patrick Zalupski led an finance group that gained support for a controlling liking successful nan Rays aft Stu Sternberg expressed liking successful parting ways pinch the MLB club. The woody to get nan Rays reportedly closed astatine $1.7 cardinal successful September.

NWSL xxpansion

In precocious January, an finance group headed by Robert Cohen, nan president and CEO of IMA Financial, group an NWSL description fee. The woody awarded Denver its first NWSL team, whose sanction was unveiled successful nan summertime arsenic nan Denver Summit. The franchise is scheduled to return nan transportation successful 2026. Another description club, nan Boston Legacy, will besides statesman play that year.

The logo of nan National Women's Soccer League astatine SeatGeek Stadium earlier nan crippled betwixt nan Chicago Stars and nan Kansas City Current connected May 24, 2025 successful Bridgeview, Illinois. (Matt Cashore/Imagn Images)

In November, nan NWSL announced that Atlanta had been awarded nan league’s 17th franchise, group to debut successful 2028. The description nine will beryllium owned by Atlanta Falcons proprietor Arthur Blank.

"I want to convey Commissioner Jessica Berman, NWSL owners and nan description committee for their spot successful awarding Atlanta this opportunity, arsenic good arsenic our executive activity squad for their tireless efforts arsenic we person worked to make this dream a reality. We can’t hold to spot our NWSL nine return nan transportation successful 2028," Blank said successful a statement.

WNBA description

Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are each slated to go location to nan 3 newest WNBA teams. The additions will bring nan convention to 18 teams by 2030.

A WNBA logo is shown connected nan tribunal earlier a crippled betwixt nan Connecticut Sun and nan Las Vegas Aces astatine Michelob ULTRA Arena connected June 25, 2025 successful Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Dan Gilbert’s Rock Entertainment Group was announced arsenic nan ownership entity for nan Cleveland-based team, which is scheduled to extremity disconnected successful 2028. Gilbert besides owns nan Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Connecticut Sun saga

Steve Pagliuca, a Celtics number owner, spearheaded an finance group that reportedly reached an statement pinch nan Mohegan Tribe — nan ownership group of nan WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. Pagliuca’s group announced plans to relocate nan franchise to Boston aft nan woody closed.

However, WNBA activity pushed back, saying relocation decisions remainder pinch nan league’s Board of Governors, not individual teams.

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The Mohegan Tribe purchased nan Sun successful 2003 and successfully moved nan team, formerly known arsenic nan Orlando Miracle, from Florida to Connecticut that year. According to ESPN, location are respective options connected nan array pertaining to nan franchise’s future.

Options see a league-led purchase, a Marc Lasry-backed relocation to Hartford, aliases a partial waste approved by nan WNBA.

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