(Bloomberg) -- Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones predicted major growth in the value of National Football League franchises as teams begin selling stakes to investors keen to make money on the booming global business of sports.
High interest from outside institutions “gives you a sense of the strength” of the business of football, Jones said. The NFL changed its ownership rules earlier this year to allow institutional investors, and Bloomberg News reported last week that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is in advanced talks with Ares Management and billionaire Joe Tsai.
“Being able to take and sell parts of these teams, the demand being there to invest for parts of the teams going forward – because I think there’s huge growth left – when I look at that, I see a plus,” Jones said Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “Anytime you have an attractive place to attract capital, then that gives you a sense of the strength of the viability of the sport.”
Jones has boosted the value of the Cowboys — pegged by Sportico as the world’s most valuable sports franchise at $10.3 billion — in part by convening sports spectacles beyond the football field. The 81-year-old Jones spoke alongside Roger Penske, the motor racing magnate and announced an IndyCar race in March 2026 anchored by AT&T Stadium, the home of the Cowboys.
“This is helping football to be sitting here with Roger,” Jones said. “Doing the races around these type of venues. It’s cross promotion.”
Expanding into the Dallas-Fort Worth area is part of IndyCar’s growth strategy and the Arlington race is expected to draw between 100,000 and 150,000 people over the course of a weekend, Penske said. IndyCar is looking to build on its longstanding popularity in the US amid heightened American interest in open-wheel car racing, which is also being fueled by Formula 1.
“We’re not trying to be Formula 1,” Penske said. The Arlington race “just accelerates us as we go forward with the quality of our what we’re trying to produce.”
The Arlington street race will provide an opportunity to boost the fan base, Penske said, complementing traditional races like the Indianapolis 500 at that city’s legendary speedway.
“I think we’ll see diversity from this fan base as we come here,” Penske said. “We’re gonna make a big difference seeing something different.”
Seeing its home as a backdrop for an entirely different sport may also bring different attention to the Cowboys. Asked whether he’s seeing investor interest, Jones emphasized his family’s involvement in ownership since he bought the team in 1989.
“My family is involved and have been involved from the very beginning,” he said. “It’s the very best part of having been with the Dallas Cowboys all these years.”
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