Browns could have new minority owners, who also own parts of 2 other teams

May 6, 2026; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam speaks at a press conference at Milwaukee Art Museum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Nothing is simple in the world of sports, and the Cleveland Browns have been a strong example of chaos since The Return in 1999. Browns majority owner, Jimmy Haslam, who also owns the Columbus Crew and part of the Milwaukee Bucks , hasn’t steadied the ship since he took over in 2012 .

Even in the ownership suite, uncertainty has reared its head. Last year, Charles Woodson was announced as having bought a minority share of the team in Cleveland , only to back out due to his desire to build his alcohol brand . Recently, the NFL approved the ability for private equity firms to purchase parts of teams, on a very limited basis.

Today, the league owners will vote on whether to approve Arctos to purchase a part of the Browns. The interesting piece of information here is that Arctos already owns parts of the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills: NFL owners are expected to vote later today on the sale of 3% of the Cleveland Browns to the private equity firm Arctos, sources tell @NFLonCBS . Arctos is one of the NFL-approved PE firms, and it already has a piece of Chargers and Bills.

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) May 19, 2026 As noted in the opening, nothing is simple anymore. Arctos Partners found a bit of NFL-related drama last month when InStudio Ventures, which helps fund Arctos, claimed it had found a loophole to be a part of NFL ownership despite not being an NFL-approved private equity firm. A nuanced issue that the NFL took exception to: Be that as it may, sources familiar with the NFL’s private equity program say the difference between Arctos and InStudio’s position is abundantly obvious, and rules prohibit those lower-tier investors from promoting their association with the league.