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Haslam Sports Group
Haslam Sports Group was founded in 2020 by Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Whitney and JW Johnson to consolidate and expand the family's sports investments.
Haslam Sports Group
Haslam Sports Group was founded in 2020 by Dee and Jimmy Haslam and Whitney and JW Johnson to consolidate and expand the family's sports investments. The underlying wealth traces to Pilot Company, the travel-center chain built by Jim Haslam II, Jimmy Haslam's father. The group's mandate is to accumulate and operate majority or significant minority positions in North American professional sports franchises and the real estate that supports them. The portfolio is focused on three core assets. The group has held majority ownership of the NFL's Cleveland Browns since 2012. It secured operating rights to Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew in 2019 and later bought full ownership. Haslam Sports Group also holds a co-ownership stake in the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. Adjacent to team ownership, the group develops and operates physical venues, including Huntington Bank Field, the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea, Ohio, and OhioHealth Performance Center. A new enclosed Huntington Bank Field is being built in Brook Park, Ohio, reflecting a direct-deployment real estate strategy. The geographic focus is the US Midwest, centered on Ohio and Wisconsin. Total deployment or staff numbers are not publicly disclosed. The leadership group comprises the four founding family members. The firm does not publicly list external LP capital, outside fund structures, or co-investment vehicles beyond the named portfolio entities. In February 2025, Haslam Sports Group alongside AECOM Hunt and Turner Joint Venture announced the groundbreaking of the new Huntington Bank Field in Brook Park. The group also backed the NWSL's decision to award an expansion franchise, the league's 18th club, to Columbus. What sets Haslam Sports Group apart structurally is its status as a family office that controls the operating entity of an NFL team — a rare arrangement in a league where most franchises are held by individuals or multi-family groups. The combination of majority NFL and MLS control alongside an NBA minority stake creates a single-family holding company for live sports that functions more like a vertically integrated venue operator than a passive allocation vehicle.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
2020
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cleveland
Corporate office
Cleveland, OH, United States
Principals
Dee Haslam
Co-Founder
Jimmy Haslam
Co-Founder
JW Johnson
Co-Founder
Whitney Haslam Johnson
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls investment decisions at Haslam Sports Group?
The four co-founders — Dee Haslam, Jimmy Haslam, JW Johnson, and Whitney Haslam Johnson — collectively steer the group's strategy. The firm does not publicly disclose a CIO or separate investment committee. Day-to-day operational decisions appear to sit with the founding team.
How does Haslam Sports Group source new opportunities?
The group pursues strategic sports and entertainment acquisitions through the Haslam and Johnson families' network. New investments typically involve North American professional teams and the related venue infrastructure. The recent pursuit of an NWSL expansion franchise for Columbus suggests a focus on deepening geographic footprints rather than diversifying into unrelated industries.
Is Haslam Sports Group a single family office or an operating company?
It functions as both. It is the holding entity for the family's sports assets, resembling a single family office in its concentration of ownership. However, it also directly manages team and venue operations, making it an active operator rather than a passive allocator.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The primary source of wealth is Pilot Company, the truck-stop and travel-center chain founded by Jim Haslam II. Jimmy Haslam expanded the business before selling a majority stake to Berkshire Hathaway and later the remainder to Berkshire, generating the liquidity that underpins the sports investments.
Does Haslam Sports Group invest outside of professional sports teams?
The group's publicly disclosed investments are confined to professional sports teams and their associated performance and stadium facilities. HSG Ventures, a named entity, could signal an intent to pursue sports-adjacent startups, but no portfolio companies have been named.
What is Haslam Sports Group's relationship to the Cleveland Browns?
Jimmy and Dee Haslam acquired the Cleveland Browns in 2012. Haslam Sports Group, formed in 2020, now serves as the umbrella entity that holds the Browns franchise. The group is actively constructing a new enclosed stadium for the team in Brook Park, Ohio.
Does the group maintain a philanthropic structure separate from its investments?
The group states a commitment to community engagement through its teams and venues, but it does not publicly list a separate charitable foundation or philanthropic vehicle on its website. Community initiatives appear to be run through the individual team organizations.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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