The Green Bay Packers are the only team in the NFL with no single owner. Instead, the team is owned by its shareholders — roughly 537,000 of them, holding about 5.2 million shares total. No shareholder is allowed to own more than 4% of outstanding shares, which structurally prevents any one person or group from taking control.
This is genuinely unique in American major professional sports. Every other NFL team has an individual or family as controlling owner. The Packers have a publicly elected board of directors and a seven-member executive committee instead.
Quick Facts
| Team | Green Bay Packers |
|---|---|
| Ownership Structure | Nonprofit, publicly held by shareholders (no controlling owner) |
| Shareholders | Approximately 537,000 |
| Shares Outstanding | Approximately 5.2 million |
| Max Ownership Per Shareholder | 4% of outstanding shares |
| Founded | 1919 |
| League | NFL (NFC North) |
| Home | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin |
Ownership History
| Year | Development |
|---|---|
| 1919 | Founded by Curly Lambeau and George Calhoun in Green Bay, Wisconsin |
| 1923 | First stock sale organized to keep the financially struggling team afloat, establishing the shareholder model |
| 1950 | Second stock sale held to fund Lambeau Field stadium expansion |
| 1997 | Third stock sale raises funds for stadium renovations |
| 2011 | Fourth stock sale raises approximately $67 million for further Lambeau Field upgrades, selling over 250,000 new shares |
| 2026 | Packers remain the NFL’s only community-owned franchise, governed by an elected board and executive committee |
Key Ownership Highlights
- Packers stock pays no dividends, can’t appreciate in value, and carries no season-ticket priority — it’s a symbolic ownership stake, not a financial investment.
- The 4% ownership cap is written into the team’s bylaws specifically to prevent any wealthy individual from ever taking control and potentially relocating the franchise.
- An NFL bylaw exemption specifically grandfathers in the Packers’ structure — the league otherwise requires teams to have a controlling individual owner holding at least 30%.
- The team’s official mission statement, embedded in its bylaws, is to keep the Packers in Green Bay in perpetuity.
FAQ
Can I buy a Green Bay Packers share?
Only during official stock sales, which the team has held five times in its history (1923, 1935, 1950, 1997, and 2011). There has been no open sale since 2011.
Do Packers shareholders make money?
No. Packers stock pays no dividends and cannot be resold for a profit except back to the team at a fraction of face value — it functions as a symbolic ownership stake, not an investment.
Why are the Packers the only publicly owned NFL team?
When the Packers first sold stock in 1923 to stay financially solvent, no NFL rule against community ownership existed yet. By the time the league adopted rules requiring a single controlling owner, the Packers were grandfathered in as an exception.