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Miami Dolphins Acquisition & Valuation
Miami Dolphins was acquired by Stephen M. Ross for $1.1B in January 2009, a 4.7x multiple on $232M of revenue.
Miami Dolphins acquisition price
$1.1B
Acquired by Stephen M. Ross · Jan 2009
Miami Dolphins revenue at acquisition
$232M
Last twelve months · Jan 2009
Miami Dolphins revenue multiple at acquisition
4.7x
EV/Revenue · Jan 2009
Miami Dolphins EBITDA multiple at acquisition
30.5x
EV/EBITDA · Jan 2009
Miami Dolphins Overview
About Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins is a professional American football team that plays in the East division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League. The franchise was founded on 16 August 1965 by attorney and politician Joe Robbie and actor Danny Thomas, began play in the American Football League in 1966 and joined the NFL through the AFL-NFL merger. It plays home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and trains at the Baptist Health Training Complex, a $135 million facility opened in 2021. The Dolphins won Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII, and their 1972 team completed the first perfect season in NFL history, going 17-0. Stephen M. Ross has owned the team since 2009; in 2024 it sold 13% of the franchise at an $8.1 billion valuation, including 10% to Ares Management, making it one of the first NFL teams to sell a stake to private equity investors. The club earns revenue from national broadcasting rights, sponsorship, ticketing and merchandise. Jeff Hafley is head coach and Jon-Eric Sullivan general manager.
Founded
1965
HQ
Website
Status
Acquired
Customer focus
B2C & B2B
Revenue model
Licensing, Advertising
Revenue
$1.1B (Oct 2026)
Valuation
$13B (Oct 2026)
Sectors
Miami Dolphins Acquisition
Miami Dolphins was acquired by Stephen M. Ross for $1.1B on 20 January 2009.
The acquisition price implies a 4.7x revenue and 30.5x EBITDA multiple on $232M of revenue.
Stephen M. Ross closed on 20 January 2009 the purchase of an additional 45% of the Miami Dolphins from Wayne Huizenga, taking his ownership of the franchise and its stadium to 95% and making him the controlling owner. The step completed a two-stage transaction agreed in 2008, when Ross bought 50% of the team, Dolphin Stadium and surrounding land for $550 million; the total value of the deal was $1.1 billion, a record for an NFL franchise until the Buffalo Bills were sold in 2014. Huizenga retained 5% of both the club and the stadium. Ross, chairman of the New York real estate developer Related Companies, kept Bill Parcells as director of football operations and later added celebrity minority partners including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Marc Anthony and Venus and Serena Williams. He has since sold limited stakes to Ares Management and others while keeping control. The Dolphins play at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
| Acquirer | Date | Type | Price | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jan 2009 | Strategic M&A | $1.1B | 4.7x | 30.5x |
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, web.archive.org
Miami Dolphins Valuation
Miami Dolphins is currently valued at $13B, based on its secondary sale in October 2026. Read the announcement ↗
The round included Jean Eric Salata.
Miami Dolphins' valuation has grown 11x from $1.1B at its secondary sale in February 2008 to $13B in October 2026, across 4 priced rounds.
Miami Dolphins valuation by funding round
Revenue multiple| Date | Stage | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Secondary | $13B | 11.4x |
| Mar 2026 | Secondary | $13B | 15.4x |
| Dec 2024 | Secondary | $8.1B | 12.5x |
| Feb 2008 | Secondary | $1.1B | 5.1x |
Miami Dolphins Revenue
Miami Dolphins' latest recorded revenue is $1.1B, as of its secondary sale in October 2026. At a $13B valuation, that implies a 11.4x revenue multiple.
Revenue grew from $215M in February 2008 to $1.1B in October 2026, while the revenue multiple moved from 5.1x to 11.4x.
Miami Dolphins revenue by funding round
| Date | Revenue * | Valuation | Revenue Multiple | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | $1.1B | $13B | 11.4x | Secondary |
| Mar 2026 | $810M | $13B | 15.4x | Secondary |
| Dec 2024 | $646M | $8.1B | 12.5x | Secondary |
| Feb 2008 | $215M | $1.1B | 5.1x | Secondary |
* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.
Miami Dolphins Funding History
Miami Dolphins has 5 recorded secondary share sales and no primary funding rounds.
Miami Dolphins funding rounds
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Valuation | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | Secondary | Jean Eric Salata | - | $13B | Jean Eric Salata, the Chilean-born private equity investor who chairs EQT AB, agreed in October 2026 to buy a 2.1 percent stake in the Miami Dolphins and principal owner Stephen Ross's related sports properties, according to a Sports Business Journal report on 15 October 2026. The valuation was slightly above USD 12.5 billion, a record for an NFL minority sale and slightly above the level of Ross's previous equity sale, a roughly 1 percent stake bought by Xiaomi co-founder Lin Bin in March 2026. The NFL finance committee had approved the sale and owners were expected to vote at their meeting the following week. The affiliated businesses include Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open. Ross bought the team in 2009 for about USD 1.1 billion and has sold more than 16 percent of the equity over two years, including 10 percent to Ares Management in December 2024. The franchise plays in Miami Gardens, Florida, and was founded in 1965. |
| Mar 2026 | Secondary | Lin Bin | - | $13B | The Miami Dolphins announced that Bin Lin, co-founder and vice chairman of Xiaomi, had agreed to buy a 1 per cent limited, non-controlling interest in the franchise and in Stephen Ross's wider sports and entertainment portfolio, at a valuation of $12.5 billion. The assets covered by the stake are the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open presented by Itau, rather than the football club alone. The National Football League approved the transaction at the end of March 2026 and it was expected to close within days; it was the highest valuation ever placed on a professional sports asset and a record for a minority transaction. Ross described Lin as a new strategic partner in the investment group and the sale followed the league's 2024 rule change permitting institutional and passive minority capital. Ross bought the Dolphins in 2009 at a valuation of about $1 billion. The Dolphins are a National Football League franchise awarded in 1965 and playing since 1966, based at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. |
| Dec 2024 | Secondary | Ares Management (lead); Joe Tsai | - | $8.1B | Stephen Ross agreed in December 2024 to sell a combined 13 per cent limited interest in the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium and the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, with funds managed by Ares Management taking 10 per cent and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai and Oliver Weisberg taking 3 per cent between them. The stakes are minority and non-controlling, and Ross retained control of the franchise and the associated stadium and event businesses. It was the first private equity investment in a National Football League club following the league's rule change in August 2024 permitting approved institutional funds to buy passive minority positions. Ross said the capital would support continued investment in South Florida and the wider Ross sports and entertainment portfolio, and Tsai described the chance to invest alongside Ross as a privilege. The transaction value was not disclosed in the club's announcement. The Miami Dolphins are a National Football League franchise awarded in 1965 that began play in 1966 and are based at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida; Ross acquired control of the club in 2009. |
| Feb 2008 | Secondary | Stephen M. Ross | $550M | $1.1B | Real estate developer Stephen M. Ross bought 50% of the Miami Dolphins, Dolphin Stadium and surrounding land from Wayne Huizenga in February 2008 for $550 million, with an agreement that he would later become the team's managing general partner. The $550 million covered the stake in the stadium and land as well as the football club. Ross, the founder and chairman of Related Companies, completed the takeover on 20 January 2009 by buying an additional 45% of the team from Huizenga, bringing the total value of the transaction to $1.1 billion and leaving Huizenga with 5% of both the club and the stadium. Huizenga had owned the Dolphins since buying out the Robbie family in 1994. Ross kept Bill Parcells as head of football operations and later brought in celebrity minority partners. The Dolphins play at what is now Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. |
| Jan 1990 | Secondary | Wayne Huizenga | - | - | Wayne Huizenga, then chairman of Blockbuster Entertainment, bought 15% of the Miami Dolphins and a half interest in the team's stadium in 1990, during a period of financial hardship for the franchise. Founding owner Joe Robbie had died in January 1990, and his surviving family found it difficult to keep the team and its privately financed stadium afloat while facing estate taxes. The investment gave Huizenga a foothold in the club, and he also became the owner of the Florida Marlins, which played at Joe Robbie Stadium. In January 1994 he agreed to buy the Robbie family's remaining interest in the team, and he completed his acquisition of full ownership that year. Terms of the 1990 purchase were not disclosed in the readable sources. The Dolphins were founded in 1965 and began play in 1966, and won Super Bowls after the 1972 and 1973 seasons. |
Who has invested in Miami Dolphins?
6 investors have backed Miami Dolphins across its funding rounds, including Ares Management, Stephen M. Ross, Joe Tsai, Wayne Huizenga, Jean Eric Salata and Lin Bin.
Lead investors include Ares Management.
Miami Dolphins Investors
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Participant | Jan 1990 | ||
| -- | 1 | Participant | Mar 2026 | |
| 1 | Participant | Feb 2008 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2024 | ||
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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
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Start Free TrialMiami Dolphins Competitors
Miami Dolphins competitors include listed companies like TKO and Rogers, and private ones like Suning Sports, LFP Media, PGA TOUR Enterprises and Yankee Global Enterprises.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | - | - | $2.6B | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $13B | - | ||
| Private | - | - | $12B | - | ||
| Private | $755M | - | $12B | 15.9x | ||
| Publicly listed | $4.7B | $1.3B | $14B | 4.1x | ||
| Publicly listed | $16B | $10B | $18B | 3.4x |
Miami Dolphins Public Comps
Miami Dolphins is no longer listed, but its public comps include TKO, MSG Sports, Rogers, Sportradar, Manchester United, Atlanta Braves Holdings, MSG Rangers, Cannae Holdings, Juventus FC and Ollamani.
| Last FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $4.7B | $1.3B | 4.9x | 4.1x | 17.5x | 10.5x | |||
| $1.2B | $39M | 7.5x | 7.7x | 220.2x | 285.3x | |||
| $16B | $10B | 3.5x | 3.4x | 5.2x | 7.6x | |||
| $1.4B | $597M | 2.7x | 2.3x | 6.5x | 9.8x | |||
| $910M | $321M | 5.2x | 5.0x | 14.7x | 16.3x | |||
| $732M | $98M | 5.6x | 5.3x | 42.2x | 79.8x | |||
| $341M | ($24M) | 7.9x | 7.9x | (113.8x) | (106.3x) | |||
| $424M | ($162M) | 2.0x | 2.2x | (5.3x) | (16.8x) | |||
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Common questions about Miami Dolphins
| When was Miami Dolphins founded? | Miami Dolphins was founded in 1965. |
| Where is Miami Dolphins headquartered? | Miami Dolphins is headquartered in Miami Gardens, FL, United States. |
| Is Miami Dolphins publicly listed? | No, Miami Dolphins was acquired by Stephen M. Ross in January 2009. |
| Who acquired Miami Dolphins? | Miami Dolphins was acquired by Stephen M. Ross in January 2009. |
| How much was Miami Dolphins acquired for? | Miami Dolphins was acquired for $1.1B in January 2009, a 4.7x revenue multiple. |
| What is Miami Dolphins' valuation? | Miami Dolphins was last valued at $13B in its secondary sale in October 2026. |
| Who are Miami Dolphins' investors? | Miami Dolphins' investors include Wayne Huizenga, Lin Bin, Stephen M. Ross, Joe Tsai, Ares Management and Jean Eric Salata. |
| What is Miami Dolphins' revenue? | Miami Dolphins' latest recorded revenue is $1.1B (October 2026). |
| What is Miami Dolphins' revenue multiple? | Miami Dolphins' latest valuation implies a 11.4x revenue multiple ($13B valuation on $1.1B of revenue). |
| Which companies are comparable to Miami Dolphins? | Companies comparable to Miami Dolphins include Suning Sports, LFP Media, PGA TOUR Enterprises, Yankee Global Enterprises, TKO and Rogers. |
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