THE SAN Francisco 49ers are considering selling a ten per cent stake in the franchise amid a surge in growth in the NFL, according to a report.
Rangers are at the centre of a takeover bid involving the American football giants, who also own English Championship side Leeds United.
The Ibrox club would become part of a growing sports portfolio for 49ers Enterprises, with the firm keen to expand into the Champions League market and Gers are more likely to offer a pathway there than Leeds.
The 49ers are one of the most successful and storied NFL teams and are owned by the York family, who are estimated to have a net worth of $6billion.
Paraag Marathe is the man leading the operation for 49ers Enterprises, the business arm of the franchise.
Marathe is the president of 49ers Enterprises and is also the executive vice president of football operations for the team itself.
The NFL is more popular globally than ever before and player contracts are at an all-time high as business booms for America’s most-watched sport.
And the 49ers look to be following a growing trend among other prudent franchises by selling stakes in the team.
As first reported by Bloomberg, the 49ers are weighing up a ten per cent stake sale at an eye-watering $9billion valuation.
According to Forbes’ most recent rankings, the California-based club were listed as the 10th most valuable sports team globally, at $6.8billion.
That figure put them ahead of every football team in the world, with Real Madrid reported to be worth $6.6billion, which put them 12th.
The 49ers are the fifth most valuable NFL team, behind the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, New York Giants and New York Jets.
They were valued higher than the Philadelphia Eagles last year but that may change given the Eagles’ Super Bowl triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this month.
Indeed, the Eagles currently own the record for highest valuation in an American pro team transaction after selling eight per cent of itself at a $8.3billion mark in December.
The 49ers would be the latest to follow the growing trend of ownership groups to seek private equity investments.
For the Eagles’ sale in December, the owners explored private equity investment before selling stakes to high-net-worth individuals.
The Miami Dolphins sold a ten per cent stake at an $8.1bn valuation to Ares Management and Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai.
Meanwhile the New York Giants have hired Moelis & Co. to sell a minority stake in their franchise, with the sale ongoing, and it’s understood the 49ers owners want to follow a similar path.
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
