Boston Celtics find buyer in landmark $6.1 billion deal to smash Commanders’ previous record
A group led by William Chisholm have agreed to buy the Boston CelticsGetty The Boston Celtics have found a new owner. William Chisholm, the California-based managing director and co-founder of Symphony Technology Group, has agreed to buy the Celtics at a valuation of $6.1 billion. A group led by William Chisholm have agreed to buy the Boston CelticsGetty The sale price of $6.1 billion is a North American record for any sports franchise. It surpasses the previous record sale of $6.05 billion paid by Josh Harris for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023. New owner Chisholm, a Dartmouth graduate from Georgetown, Massachusetts, claims to be a longtime fan of the Celtics. The deal includes backing from billionaire Robert Hale, who holds a minority stake in the Celtics, and Bruce Beal Jr., president of the real estate firm Related Companies The sale still needs approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors. News that Wyc Grousbeck and his co-owners were going to sell the team was announced shortly after the franchise won their 18th NBA title in June last year. The family told ESPN they expect Grousbeck “to remain as the Governor of the team until the second closing in 2028.” Grousbeck and partner Steve Pagliuca led a group that purchased the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million. Since then the franchise have won two championships and reached the NBA finals on two other occasions. NBA franchise valuations have sky-rocketed in recent years. The Celtics are the defending NBA ChampionsGETTY Forbes ranked the Celtics as the fourth-most valuable NBA franchise in 2024, with an estimated valuation of about $6 billion. The Phoenix Suns were sold for $4 billion to Mat Ishbia in February 2023. The Milwaukee Bucks were sold to Jimmy and Dee Haslam for $3.5 billion several weeks later, and the Mavericks were sold to the Adelson and Dumont families for $3.5 billion in December 2023. The Celtics are one of the NBA’s blue chip franchises, their core of the Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porziņģis gives them a roster set to compete for titles for the foreseeable future. This season has been a strong one for the Celtics and they sit second in the NBA Eastern Conference. The valuation comes amid the NBA being in rude financial health. The league agreed a new $76bn 11-year broadcasting deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon in 2024.
The Boston Celtics have found a new owner.
William Chisholm, the California-based managing director and co-founder of Symphony Technology Group, has agreed to buy the Celtics at a valuation of $6.1 billion.
The sale price of $6.1 billion is a North American record for any sports franchise.
It surpasses the previous record sale of $6.05 billion paid by Josh Harris for the NFL’s Washington Commanders in 2023.
New owner Chisholm, a Dartmouth graduate from Georgetown, Massachusetts, claims to be a longtime fan of the Celtics.
The deal includes backing from billionaire Robert Hale, who holds a minority stake in the Celtics, and Bruce Beal Jr., president of the real estate firm Related Companies
The sale still needs approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors.
News that Wyc Grousbeck and his co-owners were going to sell the team was announced shortly after the franchise won their 18th NBA title in June last year.
The family told ESPN they expect Grousbeck “to remain as the Governor of the team until the second closing in 2028.”
Grousbeck and partner Steve Pagliuca led a group that purchased the Celtics in 2002 for $360 million.
Since then the franchise have won two championships and reached the NBA finals on two other occasions.
NBA franchise valuations have sky-rocketed in recent years.
Forbes ranked the Celtics as the fourth-most valuable NBA franchise in 2024, with an estimated valuation of about $6 billion.
The Phoenix Suns were sold for $4 billion to Mat Ishbia in February 2023.
The Milwaukee Bucks were sold to Jimmy and Dee Haslam for $3.5 billion several weeks later, and the Mavericks were sold to the Adelson and Dumont families for $3.5 billion in December 2023.
The Celtics are one of the NBA’s blue chip franchises, their core of the Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porziņģis gives them a roster set to compete for titles for the foreseeable future.
This season has been a strong one for the Celtics and they sit second in the NBA Eastern Conference.
The valuation comes amid the NBA being in rude financial health.
The league agreed a new $76bn 11-year broadcasting deal with ESPN, NBC and Amazon in 2024.
