The Boston Celtics‘ ownership group has agreed to sell the franchise for $6.1 billion to Bill Chisholm, the managing director and co-founder of the California-based private equity firm Symphony Technology Group, the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach first reported Thursday. The deal would set a record for the most a North American professional sports franchise has ever sold for, surpassing the $6.05 valuation of the NFL’s Washington Commanders when Josh Harris bought the team in 2023. That same year, Mat Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns for $4 billion, the most an NBA team had ever sold for at the time.
Chisholm grew up a Celtics fan in Massachusetts. A person told the Boston Globe that he has an “encyclopedic knowledge” of the team. His group has agreed to purchase the franchise from Boston Basketball Partners LLC, the ownership group led by the Grousbeck family.
Boston Celtics sale: Price expected to exceed $6 billion with at least four bidders in the mix, per report
Jack Maloney
Last July, after the franchise won its 18th championship, its ownership group announced that the team was for sale, but that Wyc Grousbeck intended to remain governor of the team until 2028. Grousbeck reiterated this after the team visited the White House in November. Grousbeck will indeed remain governor and CEO of the team until the end of the 2027-2028 season, according to Sportico’s Scott Soshnick and Ebon Novy-Williams.
Sixth Street, a private equity firm, has agreed to buy a portion of the team for $1 billion, and the new ownership group will also include Rob Hale, who is currently a minority owner of the team, and Bruce A. Beal Jr., per Sportico. Sixth Street has also invested in the San Antonio Spurs and numerous other sports teams.
“This was an extremely thorough, rigorous sale process,” the Grousbeck family said in a letter to investors, via Sportico. “We had tremendous interest from potential control owners and we’re grateful for the considerable time and effort bidders put in over the past few months, especially. In the end, Bill and the group he put together came in with a superior final bid.”
Near the end of the process, the pool of potential buyers reportedly included Celtics minority owner Steve Pagliuca, Philadelphia Phillies minority owner Stan Middleman and the Friedkin Group.
In 2002, the Grousbeck family bought the team for $360 million.
