Arthur Blank Agrees to Sell Piece of Atlanta Falcons, According to Report

The Atlanta Falcons have only had two owners in their history. That won't change, but there will be a new voice in the room with a significant stake.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is selling a piece of the team. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Falcons were founded in 1966 and have only had two owners in the team's existence. Rankin Smith and his family were the original owners, and he sold the team to Home Depot billionaire Arthur Blank for a reported $545 million in 2002.

Nearly 25 years later, that looks like a solid investment.

Last week Sportico listed the 10 most valuable franchises in the NFL, and the Falcons were up a whopping 39% to make the top 10 at $9.78 billion. It was the largest increase of any team in the top 10, topped by the Dallas Cowboys (again) at $15.5 billion.

It was reported by CNBC that Sportico's estimate may have been a little conservative. They reported Arthur Blank had agreed to sell 10% of the Atlanta Falcons to private investment group Arctos, agreeing that the total valuation of the team is $10.6 billion. That puts Arctos' total investment at $1.06 billion, nearly double what Blank paid for the team in 2002.

The Seattle Seahawks' pending sale is for an NFL record $9.61 billion. Owners are expected to approve the sale before the season kicks off in just over two weeks.

The NFL as a whole has exploded in revenue growth in the two decades that Blank has been the owner, and he has had a steady hand in seeing the value of the Atlanta Falcons grow, despite a relative lack of success on the field.

While he oversaw the most successful period in Falcons history from 2004 to 2017, the Falcons are still one of the few franchises that haven't won a Super Bowl. They also haven't made the playoffs since 2017, the second-longest streak in the NFL (Jets).

Still, Blank helped engineer the move that put the team in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, widely considered a crown jewel of a venue around the world. While fans may not particularly like the personal seat licenses (PSLs) that have come with the new stadium, it has driven significant revenue and value for the team.

From a business standpoint, things have never been better for Blank and the Falcons, and he is cashing in.

From an on-field standpoint, the Falcons have widely been predicted to miss the playoffs again this year, and ESPN's bold prediction was that the earliest they'd see the postseason is 2030.

Record profits and value with a losing product haven't sat well in the community and have caused many in Atlanta to ask if the team had gotten too comfortable. Blank listened to the fans and cleaned house at the beginning of the year, from CEO to special teams coach.

Matt Ryan was brought in as team president, and he helped hire a new general manager and new head coach.

The turnaround on the field may take a bit more time, but Blank's time is now when it comes to selling high.

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