Green Bay’s unique ownership structure just gave us a rare look at how much money NFL teams are really bringing in.
The Green Bay Packers have once again pulled back the curtain on the NFL’s financial operations — and the numbers are staggering.
According to Ari Meirov, the Packers received $432.6 million in national revenue from the NFL last season.
"Multiply that by 32 and that means the NFL distributed roughly $13.84 billion to its teams (up from $12.97 billion the year before)," Meirov wrote.
Because they’re publicly owned, the Packers are the only franchise required to release their annual finances. That makes them a key source for understanding the league’s overall revenue distribution, especially when it comes to national earnings.
National revenue comes from media rights, league sponsorships, licensing, and other sources. This includes massive broadcast deals with outlets such as NBC, CBS, Fox, ESPN, and Amazon, as well as national sponsorships and merchandising agreements that have helped the league thrive financially.
The Packers have been a publicly-owned, non-profit corporation since Aug. 18, 1923. The corporation currently has around 537,460 stockholders who collectively own an estimated 5.2 million shares of stock following the sixth stock sale in franchise history that took place in 2021, according to Pro Football Network.
While every team brings in local revenue from sources such as ticket sales and concessions, the NFL's business model ensures each franchise receives an equal cut of national revenue — providing stability for small-market teams like Green Bay.
The Packers transparency offers a rare glimpse into just how profitable the NFL has become. And with media contracts locked in through the next decade, the league’s revenue distribution is poised to continue growing.
The Packers’ annual report is a reminder that in the NFL, financial parity is just as central to the league’s dominance as what happens on the field.
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Category: Football
