Chinese Tech Entrepreneur Buys Miami Dolphins Stake

The Miami Dolphins have agreed a deal to sell a minority stake to Chinese technology entrepreneur Lin Bin in a transaction that values the NFL franchise and its associated assets at approximately US$12.5 billion.

Bin, co-founder and vice chairman of Xiaomi, is acquiring a one per cent stake in the holding company that owns the Dolphins and several related sports and entertainment properties. The deal values the organisation at a record level for a disclosed minority investment in a team in the National Football League.

The stake also provides Bin with indirect ownership interests in the Hard Rock Stadium, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament, reflecting the broader portfolio of sports and events assets assembled by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross.

Ross has spent more than a decade transforming the Dolphins organisation into a multi-asset sports and entertainment platform centred around Hard Rock Stadium. The venue now hosts a wide range of global events beyond NFL games, including Formula One, international football matches and major concerts, significantly expanding the commercial profile of the franchise.

The reported valuation underscores the continued rise in the value of NFL teams, which remain among the most sought-after assets in global sport. The league’s long-term media rights agreements, revenue-sharing model and growing international audience have helped drive valuations to record levels in recent years.

The transaction with Bin also reflects the increasing globalisation of sports ownership, with international investors continuing to show interest in US franchises. Bin, whose career has included engineering roles at both Google and Microsoft before co-founding Xiaomi, has built a multibillion-dollar fortune through the global expansion of the smartphone manufacturer.

Across the NFL, owners have increasingly explored minority stake sales as a mechanism to unlock liquidity while maintaining control of their teams. The league’s governance rules permit such investments subject to approval by its finance committee and team owners.

For the Dolphins organisation, the investment reinforces the commercial strength of a franchise that has successfully combined sports ownership with large-scale event hosting and real estate development.

If fully approved by NFL owners, the deal would set a new benchmark for franchise valuations in the league and further highlight the growing appetite among global investors for stakes in premium sports assets.