Atlanta Falcons Negotiate Minority Stake Sale to Arctos Partners

Arthur Blank, the control owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of Home Depot, is overseeing discussions to sell a 10% minority stake in the franchise to Arctos Partners. The private equity firm, which is owned by KKR & Co., seeks to expand its portfolio within the National Football League.

If the NFL approves the transaction, this would be the fourth NFL team investment for Arctos Partners, following previous stakes in the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Cleveland Browns. The league currently restricts private equity investments to a maximum of 10% per franchise and limits any single firm to investing in no more than six teams.

Arctos Partners is among a select group of private equity firms cleared for NFL investments, which also includes Ares Management Corp., Sixth Street Partners, Carlyle Group Inc., and Dynasty Equity Partners Management.