🐂 The Billion Dollar Question: Can You Really Buy Stock in the Dallas Cowboys? A Gridiron Investor's Guide 🏈
Let's just get one thing straight, right out of the gate: The Dallas Cowboys. America's Team. A franchise so valuable it makes most other sports teams look like a lemonade stand in the Sahara. We're talking about a valuation that could probably buy a small country—or at least a really sweet jet. It’s the kind of business behemoth that makes you wanna grab a piece of the action, a slice of that pigskin financial pie.
But then you hit the snag, the colossal, Jerry Jones-sized hurdle: Can the average Joe, the loyal fan with a brokerage account and a dream, actually buy stock in the Dallas Cowboys? The short answer? Hold your horses, partner. It ain't as simple as logging onto your trading app and punching in 'COWBOYS.' But don't you worry your little star-spangled heart. This super stretched, humor-filled, information-packed deep dive is here to lay out the whole shebang. We're gonna break down why you can't, why you wish you could, and the clever, backdoor ways you can still get your financial fix of the NFL lifestyle. Grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s talk turkey (and Texas oil money).
Step 1: The Cold, Hard Truth About 'America's Team' Ownership
The Dallas Cowboys, unlike a lot of the big-name companies you see plastered on TV, are about as private as a secret play call in the fourth quarter.
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| Can You Buy Stock In The Dallas Cowboys |
1.1 The Jerry Jones Lockbox
The team is overwhelmingly controlled by one man, the legendary, magnetic, and always-in-the-headlines Jerral Wayne Jones Sr. He bought the team back in 1989 for a cool $140 million—a sum that now sounds like pocket change considering the team is valued in the multiple billions. When a team is owned by one primary individual (or a tight-knit family group, like the Joneses), they don't generally need or want to sell shares to the public. Why would they? They get to keep all the sweet, sweet revenue and have total control over every decision, from the Head Coach to the stadium's colossal Jumbotron.
1.2 NFL Rules Are a Buzzkill
QuickTip: A careful read saves time later.
It’s not just Jerry being a bit of a control freak; it’s also the National Football League (NFL) constitution. The NFL has historically been super strict about who can own a piece of the action.
The league generally forbids corporations, religious groups, governments, and non-profit organizations from holding stakes.
They require a controlling owner to hold a minimum of a 30% stake.
Most importantly for you, my aspiring investor friend, the NFL is a trade association with 32 private member teams. It's not a publicly traded corporation on the New York Stock Exchange.
The only exception? The Green Bay Packers. They are a publicly-owned non-profit, but even their "stock" is more of a collectible—it doesn't trade, doesn't pay dividends, and gives you zero say in who's throwing the ball. So, unless you’re planning on becoming the next multi-billion-dollar oil baron and convincing Jerry to sell (good luck with that!), the direct route to Cowboys stock is a dead end. Bummer, I know.
Step 2: The End-Around Play: Investing in the NFL Ecosystem
Alright, so buying a tiny piece of the star-shaped logo is a no-go. But the NFL is a multi-billion-dollar ecosystem that touches a ton of publicly traded companies. Think of it like a massive money tree where the Cowboys are one of the biggest, shiniest branches. You can’t own the branch, but you can own stock in the roots! This is the smart financial playbook for fans.
2.1 The Gear, the Sneakers, and the End Zone Swag
Every time you see a player—Cowboys or otherwise—sporting the latest threads, kicking a field goal, or chugging a sponsored beverage, you are looking at a potential investment.
2.2 Watch the Game, Buy the Broadcasters
QuickTip: Read with curiosity — ask ‘why’ often.
How do you watch the Cowboys hang a 'W' (or, let's be real, suffer a crushing defeat)? Through massive media companies that pay billions for broadcast rights.
Disney ($DIS): They own ESPN and ABC, major players in broadcasting NFL games.
Comcast ($CMCSA): They own NBC, which broadcasts Sunday Night Football, one of the most-watched programs in the country.
Fox Corp ($FOXA): A primary carrier of Sunday afternoon NFL games.
Investing in these media titans means you're investing in the very product that makes the NFL so financially powerful: eyeballs and advertising dollars. You are literally profiting from the astronomical cost of football TV rights. That’s a power move, my friend.
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Step 3: The Insider Play: The Jones Family's Other Ventures
Remember how we talked about Jerry Jones being a savvy oil wildcatter? He's got his hands in more pots than a Dallas potluck, and one of his major holdings is publicly traded.
3.1 Comstock Resources ($CRK)
Jerry Jones is the controlling shareholder in Comstock Resources Inc. ($CRK), a natural gas producer based right there in Frisco, Texas. This is a legitimate, publicly traded stock. Now, let’s be clear: this is an energy stock, not a football stock. Its performance depends on natural gas prices, not on Dak Prescott's passing yards. But, if you want to invest in a company where the principal owner is the same man who owns the Dallas Cowboys, this is your ticket.
Disclaimer: This is not investment advice! Always do your own research on energy markets and commodity stocks before investing. But it is a direct line to the Jones family portfolio, which is about as close as you can get to the financial inner circle without attending a private meeting at The Star.
Tip: Don’t overthink — just keep reading.
3.2 Real Estate, Sponsorships, and the "Halo Effect"
The Cowboys are so popular they create a halo effect—everything they touch seems to turn into gold.
AT&T Stadium & The Star: These state-of-the-art facilities generate massive revenue from non-football events, concerts, and year-round business. Companies that supply or partner with these facilities are profiting.
Sponsors: Look at the massive companies that have their logo plastered everywhere during a Cowboys game: financial institutions, car companies, tech giants. Many of these are publicly traded. When the Cowboys succeed, those sponsorship deals get more expensive and more valuable for the advertisers, which is a good sign for their bottom line.
The takeaway? While you can't buy stock in the Cowboys, you can buy stock in Dallas Cowboys Adjacent companies. It's the grown-up, financial equivalent of wearing your favorite jersey to the game.
FAQ Questions and Answers
How can I invest in the Dallas Cowboys team directly?
You can't. The Dallas Cowboys are a private entity, wholly owned and controlled by Jerry Jones and his family, and they do not offer publicly traded stock shares.
Is the NFL a publicly traded company?
QuickTip: Read step by step, not all at once.
No, the National Football League (NFL) is a private trade association composed of 32 privately owned member teams. The only exception to this private ownership structure is the Green Bay Packers, who issue non-stock securities with no financial value.
What are some stocks that benefit from the NFL's success?
You can invest in publicly traded companies that have major contracts or sponsorship deals with the NFL, such as major broadcasters (like Disney or Comcast), athletic apparel manufacturers (like Nike), or large official sponsors (like PepsiCo or various auto manufacturers).
How can I buy shares of a company owned by Jerry Jones?
Jerry Jones is the controlling shareholder of Comstock Resources Inc. ($CRK), a publicly traded natural gas company. You can purchase shares of $CRK through any standard brokerage account, but remember that its business is oil and gas, not football.
Is it possible to buy a minority stake in an NFL team?
Technically, yes, but not for the average person. The NFL has recently begun allowing certain private equity firms to purchase minority, non-voting stakes (up to 10%) in teams. These funds are generally only accessible to accredited investors—the ultra-wealthy—who meet very high minimum investment thresholds.
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