The Boston Celtics sold for a record-breaking $6.1B yesterday to a group led by private equity executive Bill Chisholm. The sale is the largest in North American sports franchise history, surpassing the NFL's Washington Commanders' $6.05B sale in 2023. The deal reflects a trend of rising sports franchise valuations and team owners cashing out for major returns.
Chisholm, a native of Massachusetts, is the cofounder and managing director of Symphony Technology Group, a private equity firm investing in tech. The billionaire purchased the team from the Grousbeck family, which bought the Boston Celtics in 2002 for $360M. The new ownership includes private equity firm Sixth Street, current shareholder and businessman Rob Hale, and real estate president Bruce Beal Jr. The deal awaits approval from the NBA’s Board of Governors.
Since their formation in the 1940s, the Boston Celtics have won 18 championships—the most in NBA history—and currently hold the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. See the most expensive franchise sales in history here, and see our 1440 Topics page on the NBA here.
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