List of Publicly Traded Sports Franchises Listed on Major U.S. Exchanges
A complete reference of sports team stocks — companies that wholly or partially own professional sports franchises and are listed on major U.S. and cross-listed Canadian exchanges.
Sports teams stocks represent one of the most exclusive niches in the U.S. equity market — the publicly traded sports franchise universe on major U.S. exchanges is limited to just a handful of companies, each offering investors indirect or partial exposure to professional sports team ownership. Whether you call it soccer in the United States or football everywhere else in the universe, football/soccer team Manchester United (MANU) ranks as not only one of the strongest football brands but one of the strongest sports brands in the world, with a tremendous global following and diversified merchandise revenue streams. As for American sports, the vast majority of NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL franchises remain privately held — the few exceptions involve parent companies that own teams alongside other significant assets such as telecommunications, real estate, and media operations. Understanding the conglomerate structure behind each holding is essential for investors evaluating these stocks, since sports team performance is only one of many factors driving share price movement. This page provides a complete reference of all qualifying companies, organized by market capitalization tier, along with investment context, risk considerations, and answers to the most common investor questions.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What Investors Should Know About Sports Franchise Stocks
Pure-Play Sports Franchise Stocks Are Extremely Rare
Despite the United States hosting hundreds of professional sports franchises across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL, the number of entities with publicly traded shares on major U.S. exchanges is extremely limited. Most team ownership is consolidated in private hands or within conglomerates where sports is a secondary business line. The full list on this page contains just 5 qualifying companies, underscoring the scarcity value of this investment niche. See the full company list below.
You're Usually Buying the Parent Company, Not the Team
With the exception of Manchester United (MANU), which is directly listed as a football club on the NYSE, most "sports team stocks" on U.S. exchanges are diversified parent companies. BCE Inc. (BCE) and Rogers Communications (RCI) are Canadian telecommunications giants — sports franchises represent only a portion of their revenue. Liberty Media's Braves Group (BATRK) is a tracking stock with real estate and entertainment assets alongside the baseball team. Understanding this structure is critical to evaluating each investment. Explore the Sports Teams Industry Comparison Widget for key financial metrics.
Cross-Border Ownership Adds Currency and Regulatory Risk
Three of the five companies on this list — BCE Inc., Rogers Communications, and Manchester United — are headquartered outside the United States (Canada and the United Kingdom). Investors buying U.S.-listed shares in these companies are exposed to foreign currency fluctuations (CAD/USD and GBP/USD) in addition to standard equity risk. Regulatory environments, league rules, and foreign reporting standards also differ from purely domestic U.S. equities.
Franchise Valuations Have Trended Higher, But Stock Price May Diverge
Professional sports franchise valuations in the U.S. have appreciated significantly over the past decade, driven by lucrative media rights agreements, stadium projects, and the scarcity of franchise licenses. However, stock prices for parent companies are driven by broader corporate fundamentals — debt levels, earnings per share, non-sports business performance — and may not track franchise value growth directly. Use the comparison widget to track EPS, P/E ratio, and beta for each company on this list.
FRANCHISE OWNERSHIP SNAPSHOT
Sports Team Stocks: Who Owns What
The table below maps each publicly traded company on this list to the specific franchises they own or hold a significant stake in, along with market cap tier, sport, and league. This is a reference for investors comparing direct vs. indirect exposure to professional sports.
| Ticker | Company | Franchise(s) Owned / Held | League | Market Cap Tier | Ownership Structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BCE |
BCE, Inc. | Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors | NHL, NBA | Large-Cap | Partial (via Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) |
RCI |
Rogers Communications Inc. | Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors | MLB, NHL, NBA | Large-Cap | Direct (Blue Jays) + Partial (MLSE stake) |
MANU |
Manchester United Ltd. | Manchester United F.C. | English Premier League | Mid-Cap | Direct (NYSE-listed football club) |
MSG |
The Madison Square Garden Company | New York Knicks, New York Rangers | NBA, NHL | Mid-Cap | Direct (team ownership via MSG Sports) |
BATRK |
Liberty Media Corporation Braves Group | Atlanta Braves | MLB | Small-Cap | Indirect (tracking stock; also holds Battery Atlanta real estate) |
Note: Ownership structures and league affiliations are subject to change. Data reflects publicly reported information as of April 2026. This table is for informational purposes only.
Whether you call it soccer in the United States or football everywhere else in the universe, football/soccer team Manchester United (MANU) ranks as not only one of the strongest football brands but one of the strongest sports brands in the world. They have a tremendous following and sell a variety of merchandise in addition to their normal football operations. There are also a number of other English Premier League and other football teams that are publicly traded on foreign exchanges (AS Roma, Juventus, Borussia, Dortmuch, Lazio, etc.) but they are not listed on U.S exchanges.
As far as American Sports go, there are very few NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL teams that are available for public consumption. The few that exist are owned by parent companies that are normally engaged in numerous other activities. Here are sports franchises that are wholly or partially owned by publicly traded companies:
- NFL: None
- NHL: New York Rangers (Madison Square Garden); Toronto Maple Leafs (Rogers Communications, BCE); Montreal Canadiens (BCE)
- NBA: New York Knicks (Madison Square Garden); Toronto Raptors (Rogers Communications, BCE)
- MLB: Atlanta Braves (Liberty Media Corporation); Toronto Blue Jays (Rogers Communications)
A few other sports teams used to be publicly traded including the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Indians but no longer are public companies. The Green Bay Packers are not a publicly traded company despite the fact that they periodically issue shares which can be viewed as little more than collector's items.
Resources:
Additional publicly traded sports related companies and sports categories can be accessed through the link below:
List of Publicly Traded Sports Related Companies
A comparison widget that shows trend, earnings per share (EPS), P/E ratio and beta for each of the companies on this list can be accessed through the link below.
Sports Teams Industry Comparison Widget
Select the company's link to access charts, news links and company website and social media information.
Sports Teams: Large-Cap Stocks
- BCE, Inc (BCE) (Canada, Telecom: Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors)
- Rogers Communications Inc. (RCI) (Canada: Communications and Media Company: Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors)
Sports Teams: Mid-Cap Stocks
- Manchester United Ltd. (MANU) (Popular football team)
- The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) (New York Knicks and New York Rangers)
Sports Teams: Small-Cap Stocks
- Liberty Media Corporation Braves Group (BATRK) (Indirectly owns the Atlanta Braves)
Related Links:
DUE DILIGENCE
Risk & Considerations for Sports Franchise Stocks
Conglomerate Structure Risk
Most companies on this list are not pure-play sports investments. BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications are primarily telecommunications and media businesses for which sports franchises represent a fraction of total revenue. Buying shares in these companies means your investment thesis is driven predominantly by their telecom operations, dividend policies, and Canadian regulatory environment — not by whether the Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. Investors seeking concentrated sports franchise exposure should study each holding company's revenue breakdown in its most recent annual report before committing capital.
Team Performance and Attendance Risk
For companies where the sports franchise is a larger share of total revenue — such as Manchester United (MANU) or The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) — financial results can be meaningfully affected by on-field performance. Playoff appearances and championship runs drive ticket sales, merchandise revenue, sponsorship renewals, and broadcasting bonuses. Conversely, extended losing seasons can reduce fan attendance, lower merchandise demand, and increase sponsorship renegotiation risk. MANU in particular has faced margin pressure tied to underperformance in UEFA Champions League competition, which affects broadcast revenue distributions.
Media Rights and Broadcasting Uncertainty
Broadcasting rights are among the most significant value drivers for professional sports organizations. Upward renegotiation of media rights deals — a long-standing trend in North American professional sports — can substantially boost franchise valuations and parent company revenue. However, the rapid fragmentation of viewership across streaming platforms, regional sports networks, and digital media is creating structural uncertainty. Leagues and teams that fail to adapt their broadcast rights strategies may face declining television revenues, which would pressure earnings for publicly traded parent companies like BCE and Rogers that rely heavily on sports content to drive subscriber retention.
Privatization and Delisting Risk
A specific risk unique to sports franchise stocks is the potential for a controlling owner to take the entity private or restructure the holding in a way that disadvantages minority shareholders. Several publicly traded sports entities globally have undergone this transition in recent years. Retail investors in these stocks typically hold non-voting or limited-voting share classes and have limited recourse if controlling shareholders decide to delist, merge, or restructure the entity. This is an important consideration not typically present in other equity sectors, and investors should review the specific share class and voting rights structure of each company before investing. This section is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sports Franchise Stocks: FAQs
Very few. As of April 2026, only a handful of companies that own or partially own professional sports franchises are listed on major U.S. exchanges. This page tracks 5 qualifying companies: BCE Inc. (BCE), Rogers Communications (RCI), Manchester United (MANU), The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), and Liberty Media Corporation Braves Group (BATRK). The NFL has no publicly traded team owners, making it the only major North American league with zero direct public market exposure.
No. As of April 2026, there are no publicly traded companies that own NFL franchises listed on major U.S. exchanges. All 32 NFL franchises are privately held, typically by individual billionaire owners or family trusts. The NFL's ownership rules have historically prevented corporate or public market ownership structures. The Green Bay Packers are community-owned but are not publicly traded — their periodic share offerings are considered non-transferable collector's items that carry no financial return or voting rights.
BATRK is a tracking stock issued by Liberty Media Corporation that is designed to reflect the economic performance of the Atlanta Braves MLB team and The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use real estate and entertainment complex adjacent to Truist Park. It is not the same as directly owning shares in the Atlanta Braves organization. As a tracking stock, BATRK represents a contractual interest in a defined pool of assets rather than direct equity ownership of those assets. The Atlanta Braves as a standalone legal entity is not publicly traded. Investors should read Liberty Media's SEC filings carefully to understand the specific rights and limitations of BATRK shareholders.
InvestSnips does not provide investment recommendations. Manchester United (NYSE: MANU) is one of the most directly investable professional sports clubs on a U.S. exchange, as the share represents a direct equity stake in the football club rather than an indirect conglomerate holding. The club's financial performance is tied to Premier League position, UEFA Champions League qualification, player transfer costs, sponsorship deals, and global merchandise sales. MANU has experienced significant stock volatility tied to on-pitch performance, managerial transitions, and cost restructuring since the Glazer family listing. Investors should review the company's latest Form 20-F filing with the SEC for audited financial data before drawing any conclusions.
BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications are Canada's two largest telecommunications companies. Their ownership of professional sports franchises is primarily a content strategy — owning or co-owning teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto Blue Jays gives them exclusive or priority access to broadcast live sports content across their media networks, streaming platforms, and cable systems. Live sports content is considered one of the most powerful drivers of subscriber retention and pay TV bundle sales. The sports franchises function as strategic media assets that support their core telecoms business, rather than standalone investment vehicles.
As of April 2026, Manchester United (MANU) remains one of the very few European football clubs with a primary or cross-listing on a major U.S. exchange (NYSE). Several other well-known clubs — including AS Roma, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, and others — are publicly traded on European exchanges but are not listed on U.S. exchanges like the NYSE or NASDAQ. U.S.-based investors can access these foreign-listed clubs through international brokerage accounts or via ADRs (American Depositary Receipts) in some cases, but these are not covered on this InvestSnips page, which focuses exclusively on U.S.-listed securities.
Both the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Indians (now the Cleveland Guardians) were once publicly traded sports franchises but were eventually taken private. The Celtics were traded on the American Stock Exchange before being acquired and taken private in 2002. The Cleveland Indians had a publicly traded trust structure that was also subsequently dissolved. These cases are often cited as reminders of the privatization risk specific to sports franchise stocks — controlling owners have the ability to buy out public minority shareholders and remove the entity from public markets, sometimes at prices that may not reflect full franchise value as assessed by minority investors.
InvestSnips covers the entire publicly traded sports ecosystem across 11 sub-industries. For the full landscape including athletic apparel, motorsports, sporting goods, ski resorts, bowling, golf, wrestling, and more, visit the List of Publicly Traded Sports Related Companies. You can also browse the full Publicly Traded Companies by Sector and Industry index for the complete InvestSnips coverage universe, or visit the List of Entertainment Companies for related sector context.
Last updated April 2026 · Data sourced from U.S. exchange filings