The Lakers valuation could rise to at least $30 billion within roughly a decade under financial projections presented to prospective investors by the group led by Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The proposed figure would represent a dramatic increase from the $12.5 billion valuation attached to the group’s agreement to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers. The investor presentation, prepared by Kushner’s Thrive Capital, outlines a strategy built around revenue growth, international expansion, ticket sales, sponsorships, operational efficiencies and potentially higher NBA media-rights income. TThe Wall Street Journal+1
The presentation also contains a more aggressive scenario in which the franchise could eventually be valued at as much as $62 billion. However, that figure depends on more favorable assumptions than the $30 billion base projection.
For investors, the proposal offers a detailed look at how the new ownership group believes one of professional sports’ most valuable franchises can generate substantially more revenue over the coming decade.
Lakers Valuation Starts With a $12.5 Billion Purchase
The starting point for the plan is already extraordinary.
Kushner and Iger agreed to purchase the Lakers at a $12.5 billion valuation, according to multiple reports. The deal followed Mark Walter’s purchase of control of the franchise at a reported $10 billion valuation less than a year earlier. LLos Angeles Times+1
The $12.5 billion transaction established a new benchmark for the value of an individual professional sports franchise.
S&P Global Market Intelligence reported that the Lakers transaction helped push the total value of sports-team deals in 2026 to a record level. Its analysis also noted that the purchase represented a revenue multiple above 22 times based on its estimates. SS&P Global
The new owners’ investor presentation is therefore looking beyond an already record-setting purchase price.
The objective outlined to investors is to increase the Lakers’ value to at least $30 billion by the end of 2037.
That would require the franchise’s valuation to more than double from the $12.5 billion purchase price.
How the Lakers Could Reach $30 Billion
The financial plan relies on several sources of potential growth.
According to the WSJ report, the buyers believe the Lakers can generate approximately $681 million in revenue in 2026. Under the plan, annual revenue would rise to at least $1.6 billion by 2037. TThe Wall Street Journal
That would represent more than a doubling of revenue over the period.
The presentation also projects adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, to increase from an estimated $129 million to more than $589 million.
The projected improvement would come from a combination of additional revenue and operating efficiencies.
Several of the proposed initiatives could begin producing additional income much sooner than the long-term valuation target.
Ticket Sales Are a Major Part of the Strategy
One of the clearest opportunities identified in the presentation involves Lakers tickets.
The ownership group estimates that it could generate roughly $150 million in additional revenue by 2028 through several initiatives.
One element involves approximately 6,000 season tickets currently held by brokers.
The plan calls for reclaiming those tickets and making more of them available for individual-game sales. According to the WSJ report, the presentation estimates that the average single-game ticket price could rise from approximately $217 to $361 under this approach. TThe Wall Street Journal
The strategy reflects the extraordinary demand surrounding the Lakers.
However, increasing the amount of revenue generated from ticket sales would also mean that pricing and availability could become increasingly important issues for fans.
The Lakers already operate in one of the largest and most commercially significant sports markets in the United States. The new ownership group appears to believe there is additional value that can be captured from the existing fan base.
Sponsorship Revenue Could Add Millions More
Sponsorships are another component of the plan.
The investor presentation reportedly identifies between $40 million and $75 million in potential sponsorship opportunities. TThe Wall Street Journal
Sports franchises have increasingly expanded their commercial partnerships beyond traditional jersey and arena sponsorships.
The Lakers’ global profile gives the organization access to brands seeking exposure in the United States as well as international markets.
The new ownership group appears to view the franchise’s brand as an asset that can be monetized more extensively without relying exclusively on ticket sales or television income.
The precise value of these opportunities will depend on negotiations with sponsors and the broader advertising market.
Cost Efficiencies Could Improve Profitability
The plan is not based entirely on generating more revenue.
The presentation also identifies at least $20 million in operating cost efficiencies.
That matters because the Lakers’ valuation depends not only on how much money the franchise generates but also on how much of that revenue ultimately contributes to earnings.
The investor presentation projects adjusted EBITDA to rise from approximately $129 million in 2026 to more than $589 million by 2037. TThe Wall Street Journal
If realized, that would represent a substantial increase in operating profitability.
The combination of higher revenue and improved efficiency is central to the ownership group’s financial case.
NBA Media Rights Are Central to the Lakers Valuation
Perhaps the most important long-term assumption involves media rights.
The NBA agreed in 2024 to new media partnerships worth approximately $77 billion over 11 years, with agreements involving Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon. S&P Global described the new package as a major increase over the league’s previous arrangement. SS&P Global
The Lakers’ investor presentation assumes that media-rights fees could double again when the current agreements eventually come up for renegotiation.
That assumption is crucial to the $30 billion valuation thesis.
Live sports remain particularly valuable to broadcasters and streaming services because games encourage viewers to watch in real time. They can also attract advertising and subscription revenue.
But the future media landscape is not guaranteed.
Sports fans increasingly face a fragmented market in which different leagues, teams and competitions can be distributed across multiple streaming platforms and traditional television networks.
The Lakers’ long-term financial projections therefore depend partly on how valuable live NBA programming remains to media companies.
International Growth Is Another Opportunity
The Lakers also have an opportunity to expand their business internationally.
The franchise has one of the strongest global identities in professional basketball, with a history that includes internationally recognized players and championship teams.
The investor presentation identifies international growth as one avenue for increasing the franchise’s long-term value. TThe Wall Street Journal
International expansion could involve sponsorships, merchandise, media distribution, events and digital products.
The NBA has already developed a substantial international audience, giving its most recognizable franchises a platform that extends well beyond the United States.
For the Lakers, that international recognition could become an increasingly important commercial asset.
A $62 Billion Scenario Is Also Included
The $30 billion target is not the highest valuation outlined in the investor presentation.
According to the WSJ, more favorable assumptions could result in a valuation of approximately $62 billion.
That figure should be viewed separately from the base target because it depends on assumptions that are more optimistic.
The presentation’s inclusion of the $62 billion scenario illustrates the scale of the potential upside that the buyers are presenting to investors.
It also shows how sensitive the valuation can be to assumptions about future revenue, profitability and media-rights economics.
A valuation projection is not the same as a guarantee of future market value. Actual results could differ significantly depending on economic conditions, NBA revenues, media consumption, ticket demand, sponsorship activity and the performance of the franchise.
Lakers Ownership Is Still Undergoing Changes
The financial strategy is unfolding alongside a broader transition in Lakers ownership.
The Kushner-Iger group is acquiring the majority stake from Mark Walter. Meanwhile, members of the Buss family continue to hold an interest in the franchise.
Jeanie Buss, daughter of longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss, has been involved in a dispute with her siblings concerning the family’s remaining ownership interest.
The situation adds another layer of complexity to the franchise’s ownership structure. The Los Angeles Times reported that Jeanie Buss was expected to remain the team’s governor for at least five years following the new ownership agreement. LLos Angeles Times
The dispute is also notable because the long-term value projections presented by the new ownership group are substantially higher than the valuation attached to the transaction.
NBA Rules Also Changed Around the Deal
The transaction has unfolded alongside changes to NBA investment rules.
Bloomberg reported that the NBA amended its private-equity policy to allow an investment firm and its executives to invest in a franchise at the same time. The change was relevant to Kushner and Iger’s investment structure because Thrive Eternal is expected to participate alongside individual investors. YYahoo Finance
Thrive Eternal is the sports-focused platform associated with Kushner and Iger.
The group had previously explored opportunities involving NBA expansion before turning its attention to the Lakers. AAxios
The development demonstrates how professional sports ownership is increasingly attracting institutional capital, private investment firms and high-net-worth individuals.
Why the Lakers Are So Valuable to Investors
The financial appeal of the Lakers extends beyond their current revenue.
Professional sports franchises are scarce assets. Unlike ordinary businesses, there are a limited number of major NBA teams available for purchase at any given time.
That scarcity can contribute to high valuations when wealthy investors compete for ownership.
S&P Global noted that investor interest in sports teams has increased substantially and that sports assets can attract buyers partly because their performance is not necessarily tied directly to broader financial-market movements. SS&P Global
The Lakers add another element: global brand recognition.
The franchise combines a major-market location, a large international fan base, valuable media exposure and a long history of commercial success.
These characteristics help explain why investors are willing to consider valuations far above those seen for many traditional businesses with comparable annual revenue.
The Biggest Question Is Whether the Projections Materialize
The proposed $30 billion Lakers valuation depends on several assumptions.
Revenue would need to increase substantially.
Media-rights values would need to remain strong and potentially rise significantly.
International commercial opportunities would need to generate meaningful additional income.
The team would also need to manage operating costs while maintaining its competitive position.
And, perhaps most importantly, the NBA’s overall economic model would need to continue producing significant value for its franchises.
The ownership group’s presentation is therefore best understood as an investment case rather than a prediction that the Lakers will definitely be worth $30 billion in 2037.
The $62 billion figure represents an even more aggressive scenario.
What the New Lakers Strategy Means
The investor presentation provides a rare look at how the prospective owners are thinking about the Lakers as a financial asset.
The strategy is not centered on a single source of growth.
Instead, it combines ticketing, sponsorships, international expansion, media rights and operating efficiencies.
The group estimates that those initiatives can help push annual revenue from approximately $681 million in 2026 to at least $1.6 billion by 2037. It also expects adjusted EBITDA to increase from approximately $129 million to more than $589 million over the same period. TThe Wall Street Journal
Whether those targets are ultimately reached will depend on conditions that cannot be known today.
Still, the figures demonstrate the scale of the business opportunity that the new ownership group is presenting to investors.
The Future of the Lakers Valuation
The Lakers have already entered a new era of ownership at a record-setting price.
Now, the group’s investor presentation is setting out an even more ambitious objective: a $30 billion Lakers valuation within roughly a decade.
Achieving that target would require the franchise to generate significantly more revenue and profit while benefiting from continued growth in NBA media economics and international demand.
The ownership group’s more optimistic scenario points even higher, to approximately $62 billion.
For now, those figures remain projections.
What is certain is that the Lakers have become one of the clearest examples of the rapidly increasing financial value of major professional sports franchises. The next stage will be watching whether the revenue, media and commercial opportunities identified in the presentation can translate into the extraordinary valuation targets presented to investors.
Suggested External Sources
- The Wall Street Journal: Original report on the Lakers investor presentation and $30 billion valuation target. T
The Wall Street Journal
- S&P Global Market Intelligence: Analysis of the record-setting Lakers transaction and broader sports M&A market. S
S&P Global
- Los Angeles Times: Coverage of the $12.5 billion Lakers ownership transaction. L
Los Angeles Times
- Bloomberg/Yahoo Finance: Coverage of NBA investment-rule changes related to the transaction. Y
Yahoo Finance
Internal Link Suggestions
If your website has related content, consider linking these phrases to relevant existing articles:
- Los Angeles Lakers
- NBA media rights
- sports team valuations
- Joshua Kushner
- Bob Iger
- NBA business news
Image ALT Text
Lakers valuation $30 billion plan from new ownership group
The article is written from the reported figures and projections available as of September 19, 2026. Because the source is a WSJ report, the financial targets should be attributed to the investor presentation rather than presented as established future results. TThe Wall Street Journal
If you give me your target website/domain, I can also tailor the internal-link structure and URL strategy to that site.
