UFC owners Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro have been officially approved as minority shareholders in the Las Vegas Raiders. Emanuel purchased a 1.4% stake while Shapiro acquired 0.6% of the NFL franchise.
The owners of the UFC have expanded their sports portfolio into the NFL, with Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro receiving official approval as minority shareholders in the Las Vegas Raiders.
Emanuel, the chief executive of Endeavor — the parent company of the UFC — acquired a 1.4% stake in the NFL franchise. Shapiro, Endeavor's president, secured a 0.6% share. The approvals were confirmed on May 21, 2026, marking a notable crossover between the two major American sports properties.
Why it matters
- Endeavor's leadership now holds a direct financial stake in an NFL franchise, deepening ties between combat sports and mainstream American professional sports.
- The combined acquisition gives Endeavor executives a seat at the table in one of the most valuable sports markets in the country, with the Raiders based in Las Vegas — the same city that has become a central hub for major UFC events.
- The move signals continued consolidation of sports ownership at the executive level, as figures from the combat sports world increasingly invest across multiple leagues and franchises.
The stakes involved are modest in percentage terms but carry significant symbolic weight. Las Vegas has rapidly grown into one of North America's premier live sports destinations, hosting franchises across the NFL, NHL, and MLB, as well as some of the UFC's biggest pay-per-view cards. Emanuel and Shapiro now have a financial foothold in that city's professional sports landscape beyond the Apex and T-Mobile Arena.
