When you watch the New York Giants or New York Jets play on Sunday, you are watching them play in a stadium that neither team technically owns on paper — yet both teams built with their own money and run together every single day. MetLife Stadium is one of the most unique ownership stories in all of American sports, and 2026 was its biggest year yet: on July 19, 2026, it hosted the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final between Spain and Argentina — the first men’s World Cup final ever played on U.S. soil since 1994, and the first ever in the New York/New Jersey area.
Here is the complete, accurate story of who really owns MetLife Stadium.
What Is MetLife Stadium?
MetLife Stadium is a sports stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League. It is the largest stadium in New Jersey with a capacity of over 82,000, along with being the largest venue in the NFL.
MetLife Stadium hosted Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, and multiple 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage matches before capping it all off with the tournament’s biggest prize: the World Cup Final itself. See our full breakdown of who owns every World Cup 2026 stadium for how MetLife compares to the other 15 venues.
Who Owns MetLife Stadium?
The stadium is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority on paper. However, the New York Giants and New York Jets jointly built the stadium using private funds, and operate it through the MetLife Stadium Company, a 50/50 joint venture between the two teams.
The stadium is owned by the MetLife Stadium Company, a joint venture of the Giants and Jets, and cost $1.6 billion to construct.
The Jets and Giants split the construction costs of MetLife evenly, and unlike many other franchises, they didn’t rely on taxpayer funding to make it happen.
So in simple terms: the land technically belongs to a New Jersey government authority, but the actual stadium building, its operations, and its revenue belong 50% to the Giants and 50% to the Jets — split exactly down the middle.
MetLife Stadium Ownership Table
| Owner / Party | Role | Stake | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium Company | Operating Owner | 50/50 joint venture | Built and run jointly by both NFL teams |
| New York Giants (Mara & Tisch families) | Co-Owner | 50% stake | John Mara and Steve Tisch are principal owners |
| New York Jets (Johnson family) | Co-Owner | 50% stake | Woody Johnson and Christopher Johnson are owners |
| New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority | Land Owner (on paper) | Public land authority | Provides security and EMS staff under contract |
| MetLife Inc. | Naming Rights Sponsor | No equity | Acquired naming rights in 2011 |
Who Owns the Giants?
The New York Giants are owned by John Mara and Steve Tisch. The Mara family has owned the Giants since the franchise was founded in 1925, while the Tisch family became co-owners in 1991. Both families share equal ownership and decision-making power over the team.
Who Owns the Jets?
The New York Jets are owned by Woody and Christopher Johnson. The Johnson family, heirs to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, purchased the Jets in 2000 and have controlled the franchise ever since.
The Naming Rights Story
The stadium was originally named the New Meadowlands Stadium upon opening in 2010, but the naming rights were acquired the next year by the New York insurance company, MetLife.
That naming rights deal is separate from ownership entirely. MetLife Inc. pays for the right to put its name on the building, but holds zero equity in the stadium itself. The actual ownership remains exactly 50/50 between the Giants and the Jets.
Why Is This Ownership Structure So Unusual?
MetLife Stadium is one of two NFL stadiums shared by two teams, the other being SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
A team of roughly 250 workers can rebrand the entire venue, from signage to on-field logos, in as little as 16 hours, depending on which team is next to play.
Every other major stadium in America has one primary owner. MetLife Stadium requires two billionaire ownership groups — the Mara/Tisch families and the Johnson family — to agree on everything from scheduling to renovations to revenue sharing, making it one of the most complex ownership arrangements in professional sports.
Could That Ever Change?
Jets owner Woody Johnson once pushed hard for the team to have its own state-of-the-art stadium in New York City, a home that would finally separate the franchise from the Giants. That project, tied to a potential Olympic bid, ultimately collapsed under political and financial opposition.
For now, the 50/50 arrangement remains firmly in place, and MetLife Stadium continues to serve as the shared home for both of New York’s NFL franchises — as well as a major venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
MetLife Stadium Capacity, Address & Location
MetLife Stadium is located at 1 MetLife Stadium Dr, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, inside the Meadowlands Sports Complex, about 10 miles west of Manhattan. Its official seating capacity is 82,500, making it the largest stadium in the NFL and the largest venue used for the FIFA World Cup 2026. That capacity is typically broken down into roughly 33,000+ lower-tier seats, 21,000+ mid-tier seats, 27,000+ upper-tier seats, plus around 10,000 club seats and 218 luxury suites — exact figures shift slightly depending on the event configuration.
MetLife Stadium Seating Chart & Tiers
Seating at MetLife Stadium runs in three main bowls — lower level (closest to the field), mezzanine/club level (mid-height, includes most premium and club seating), and upper level (highest, most affordable). Suite and club seating occupies the middle tier, between the lower and upper bowls. For an event-specific interactive seating chart, the official MetLife Stadium site publishes a live layout for each game or concert, since configurations shift between football games, soccer matches, and concerts.
MetLife Stadium Parking
For regular NFL games and concerts, parking at MetLife Stadium typically runs $30 to $160 depending on the lot and demand. Passes come in two tiers: Gold permits cover the outer lots (B, D, J, K, L, M, P, Deck A, and lots near American Dream mall), while Platinum permits cover the lots closest to the gates (E, F, G, S) at a premium. Fans without a prepaid pass can typically use an off-site lot with shuttle service, and the American Dream Mall lots across the street also accept event-day parkers.
Note for World Cup 2026: the stadium’s regular parking lots were not available in the usual way during the tournament — FIFA converted much of that space into fan villages, shuttle staging areas, and operations zones, with NJ Transit rail and dedicated busways handling most fan transport instead.
MetLife Stadium Events (2026)
Beyond the Giants, Jets, and the World Cup, MetLife Stadium runs a packed concert calendar. Confirmed 2026 shows include BTS (August 1–2), Bruno Mars (August 21, 22, 25 & 26), Guns N’ Roses (August 12), BIGBANG (September 11), Karol G (September 18 & 25), and AC/DC (September 25), with more dates added throughout the year. Check the official events calendar for the full, current schedule.
The Bottom Line
MetLife Stadium is owned through the MetLife Stadium Company, a 50/50 joint venture between the New York Giants (owned by the Mara and Tisch families) and the New York Jets (owned by the Johnson family). The land technically belongs to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, but the $1.6 billion stadium itself was privately built and is jointly operated by both teams. MetLife Inc. holds the naming rights but no ownership stake.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who owns MetLife Stadium?
MetLife Stadium is owned 50/50 by the New York Giants and New York Jets through the MetLife Stadium Company joint venture.
Q2. Does MetLife the insurance company own the stadium?
No. MetLife Inc. only holds the naming rights, acquired in 2011, and has no ownership stake.
Q3. Who owns the New York Giants?
The Giants are owned by John Mara and Steve Tisch.
Q4. Who owns the New York Jets?
The Jets are owned by Woody Johnson and Christopher Johnson.
Q5. How much did MetLife Stadium cost to build?
MetLife Stadium cost approximately $1.6 billion to construct, funded privately by both teams.
Q6. Is MetLife Stadium owned by the government?
The land is owned on paper by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, but the stadium itself is privately owned by the two teams.
Q7. Is MetLife Stadium the only NFL stadium shared by two teams?
No. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California is also shared, by the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
Q8. Will the Jets and Giants ever split MetLife Stadium?
Plans for a separate Jets stadium in NYC collapsed in the past, and the 50/50 arrangement remains in place as of 2026.
Q9. Did MetLife Stadium host the 2026 World Cup Final?
Yes. MetLife Stadium hosted the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final on July 19, 2026, between Spain and Argentina — making it the first World Cup final venue in the New York/New Jersey area.
Q10. What is the address of MetLife Stadium?
1 MetLife Stadium Dr, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, inside the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Q11. How much does parking cost at MetLife Stadium?
Typically $30–$160 for NFL games depending on the lot, with Gold (outer) and Platinum (closer-in) permit tiers. Parking works differently during the World Cup, with much of the regular lot space converted to fan zones.
