- Transaction includes Hard Rock Stadium, F1 Miami Grand Prix and part of Miami Open tennis event
- Deal surpasses previous record valuation for an NFL team set by New York Giants last year
Chinese-American billionaire Lin Bin has reportedly agreed to buy a one per cent stake in the Miami Dolphins that values the National League Franchise at a record US$12.5 billion.
According to SportyBin, the co-founder and vice chairman of consumer electronics firm Xiaomi, has become a limited shareholder in holding company that owns the Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula One Miami Grand Prix and part of the Miami Open tennis tournament.
The valuation exceeds the previous US$10 billion benchmark set by Julia Koch’s purchase of a ten per cent stake in the New York Giants.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has sold off several minority stakes in the franchise over recent years. In December 2024, Ares Management acquired a ten per cent stake in the NFL team, the maximum amount of shares a private equity firm can buy under the league’s rules.
In addition to Ares, Brooklyn Nets majority owner Joseph Tsai and Oliver Weisberg, a minority shareholder in the Nets, also bought a combined three per cent stake in the Florida-based outfit. Both sales then valued the Dolphins at US$8.1 billion.
Ross, who also owns the Relevent Sports agency, told Bloomberg earlier this year that he has no plans to sell the Dolphins. The 85-year-old, who bought the franchise for US$1 billion in 2009, revealed he had turned down offers for the team that were valued close to US$15 billion.
Bin, whose net worth is estimated by Forbes at US$10.5 billion previously worked at Google and Microsoft before co-founding Xiaomi in 2010. The Chinese company held the third highest market share of the global smartphone market in 2025, according to research firm Counterpoint.
The NFL’s finance committee has reportedly approved Bin’s purchase, with a full league ownership vote still pending. The next NFL owners meeting will be held on 29th March.
SportsPro says…
The NFL continues to grow its revenue and popularity, driving up the value of individual franchises by the billion. But valuations are so high that no individual and only a well-backed consortium could ever hope to acquire a team – if one was up for sale in the first place.
Sales of minority stakes allow team owners to unlock this equity and without ceding control. In exchange, investors can benefit from further anticipated revenue growth in revenue, likely to be driven by media rights.
A key story point for the coming year will be the NFL’s looming media rights negotiations, with the league expected to exercise a clause that allows it to opt-out of its US$110 billion 11-year broadcast deals with Amazon, CBS, ESPN, Foxand NBC after the 2029 season. The league is eyeing a significant bump in earnings, which will be welcomed by investors like Bin. YouTube has also been linked with a bid to acquire four live NFL games, which will also generate more income for the league.
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