# Does someone own the NFL? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435 "2007-09-17T00:09:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/1 "2007-09-17T00:09:14Z")
My sister wants to know. I don’t know why. So, does someone in particular own the NFL? If so, or if not, how does the NFL work? Thanks! If you answer quickly she might shut the hell up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/2 "2007-09-17T00:15:05Z")
[QUOTE=congodwarf] My sister wants to know. I don’t know why. So, does someone in particular own the NFL? If so, or if not, how does the NFL work? Thanks! If you answer quickly she might shut the hell up. 😃 [/QUOTE] As I understand it, the league is owned by the owners of the teams. ---
**Author:** ![megatraum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@megatraum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/megatraum)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/3 "2007-09-17T00:38:35Z")
32 people own the NFL. The owners of each team are the “executives” of the league, meeting during the off season and voting on major issues. Television revenue is shared between them. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/4 "2007-09-17T00:45:31Z")
[QUOTE=megatraum] 32 people own the NFL. The owners of each team are the “executives” of the league, meeting during the off season and voting on major issues. Television revenue is shared between them. [/QUOTE] Nitpick - some of them may be partnerships with multiple owners. And the Green Bay Packers are a public company owned by their shareholders. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/5 "2007-09-17T00:49:31Z")
[QUOTE=yabob] Nitpick - some of them may be partnerships with multiple owners. And the Green Bay Packers are a public company owned by their shareholders. [/QUOTE] You mean I also own a part of the NFL, too? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/6 "2007-09-17T00:52:53Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] You mean I also own a part of the NFL, too? 🆒 [/QUOTE] Yeah. So go out there and tell Goodell to come down harder on the Patriots. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/7 "2007-09-17T00:53:32Z")
Thanks guys. You are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/8 "2007-09-17T01:07:41Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] Yeah. So go out there and tell Goodell to come down harder on the Patriots. [/QUOTE] I’ll get right on it! Well, after I’m done celebrating giving the Giants a thumpin’ today, I will. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/9 "2007-09-17T02:04:06Z")
The odd thing is, it doesn’t appear that the National Football League itself is incorporated. There are incorporated entitites (e.g., NFL Enterprises LLC) that represent certain aspects of the NFL, such as marketing. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/10 "2007-09-17T02:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I’ll get right on it! Well, after I’m done celebrating giving the Giants a thumpin’ today, I will. [/QUOTE] Sure, but that was like kicking a dead man. My \*\*Giants \*\* stink like they haven’t stunk since the seventies. Actually this is different, I don’t know if the **Giant’s** Defense has ever been this bad. In the seventies it was the offense that could do nothing. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/11 "2007-09-17T02:46:05Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Sure, but that was like kicking a dead man. My \*\*Giants \*\* stink like they haven’t stunk since the seventies. Actually this is different, I don’t know if the **Giant’s** Defense has ever been this bad. In the seventies it was the offense that could do nothing. [/QUOTE] Pisarcik hands off… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/12 "2007-09-17T13:39:15Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I’ll get right on it! Well, after I’m done celebrating giving the Giants a thumpin’ today, I will. [/QUOTE] Bum..bum..Ba-da-da-dum…Go Pack Go! ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/13 "2007-09-17T15:51:36Z")
The NFL is “an unincorporated, not-for-profit organization of professional,” and is “exempt from income taxation under 26 U.S.C. SS 501©.” This has been challenged in court several times, including the Mackey case, the USFL case, and the Al Davis case. The courts have upheld that the NFL is a membership organization, like a trade organization. Other corporations have been created for their for-profit activities, most notably NFL Properties. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/14 "2007-09-17T17:11:34Z")
Incidentally, the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL are all nonprofit organizations, and thus exempt from income tax. The individual teams, of course, are for-profit corporations, but the overarching leagues are nonprofits. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/15 "2007-09-17T17:39:03Z")
Accidentally truncated my quote above… should read “organization of professional teams.” ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-own-the-nfl/419435/16 "2007-09-17T17:56:24Z")
Wanted to follow up on something else… although the Packers are a public company, NFL by-laws prevent other teams from doing the same. Sullivan wanted to sell shares in the Patriots in the mid-1980s, but was blocked by the league. The courts upheld their right to do so.