What Chicago Bears does

The Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. is a privately held professional American football franchise and one of the NFL's two founding-era teams (established 1920 as the Decatur Staleys, rebranded Chicago Bears in 1922). The franchise operates from Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois and plays home games at Soldier Field in Chicago, a 61,500-seat stadium. The team's revenue model spans four primary streams: game-day revenue (tickets, suites, concessions, merchandise), NFL-collective media rights, corporate sponsorships (Verizon, Ticketmaster, Miller Lite, PNC, LRS, Fanatics, EA Sports), and merchandise sales through the Fanatics-operated Pro Shop. The franchise's digital surface consists of the Chicago Bears Official App (mobile ticketing, content delivery, push notifications) integrated with Ticketmaster for stadium entry, an official website, social channels, and original audio/video content including the 'Bears, etc.' podcast. The Bears are owned by the McCaskey family under Chairman George McCaskey and President & CEO Kevin Warren, with GM Ryan Poles and Head Coach Ben Johnson leading football operations.

Under new leadership, the franchise executed a sharp competitive turnaround in 2025 — finishing 11-6, winning the NFC North, and defeating Green Bay in the Wild Card round (the team's first playoff win since 2010) behind #1 overall 2024 draft pick Caleb Williams. The franchise is simultaneously pursuing one of the largest capital projects in its history: a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, with $2B in franchise capital committed alongside ~$1B in public financing through a newly established Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority. Commercial growth initiatives include a Hallmark scripted-movie partnership, EA Sports Madden 27 cover placement, and UK fan expansion via a June 2025 Liverpool event. The customer base is structurally diversified across individual fans and a multi-category corporate sponsorship portfolio, with no single counterparty dominating revenue.

The Bears are governed by the structural economics of the 32-team NFL — league-wide media rights revenue sharing, salary cap, and draft — which provide a high collective floor on revenue while capping upside relative to fully commercial sports. Fan monetization occurs through a direct-to-consumer motion: tickets via Ticketmaster, merchandise via the Fanatics Pro Shop, mobile engagement via the Verizon-sponsored app, and premium on-site experiences like the Miller Lite Midway at Soldier Field.

Name

Chicago Bears

Legal name

Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc.

Website

https://chicagobears.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Chicago Bears are a privately held NFL franchise (founded 1920, McCaskey family-owned) playing home games at Chicago's Soldier Field, monetizing ticketing, sponsorships, NFL media rights, and merchandise to a mass consumer fan base in the third-largest US market, currently executing a competitive and commercial turnaround under new head coach Ben Johnson.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Franchise

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)

Keywords

• Professional football
• NFL franchise
• Sports entertainment
• Team merchandise
• Game day experience

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Forest

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Game Day Revenue: Revenue from ticket sales, suites, concessions, and merchandise at home games at Soldier Field
2. Media Rights: NFL television, streaming, and radio broadcast rights revenue shared among all 32 teams
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnership deals with corporate sponsors including Verizon, Ticketmaster, Miller Lite, PNC, LRS, and others
4. Merchandise Sales: Sales of team merchandise through Pro Shop (store.chicagobears.com) and in-stadium retail

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Chicago Bears operate a professional NFL football franchise, fielding a competitive team that plays home games at Soldier Field. The organization generates revenue by selling tickets and premium stadium experiences to fans, licensing and selling team merchandise, securing corporate sponsorships, and distributing content through its mobile app and media channels. The franchise also operates community programs such as the Small Business All-Pros initiative and hosts fan engagement events including training camp open practices and international fan tours.

Product overview

The Chicago Bears' digital and fan engagement portfolio consists primarily of content delivery and fan experience services rather than a unified software product platform. The core offerings include the Chicago Bears Official App (mobile ticketing and team content), Training Camp experiences, The Miller Lite Midway premium stadium hospitality, the Pro Shop e-commerce partnership with Fanatics, and community programs like Small Business All-Pros. The organization's digital presence centers on fan engagement through mobile applications, ticket management, video content, podcasts, and merchandise sales rather than a platform-plus-modules software architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chicago Bears Official App Official mobile application that enables fans to access mobile tickets for stadium entry, manage ticket transfers, purchase tickets, and receive team content and push notifications.
• The Miller Lite Midway Climate-controlled premium hospitality space at Soldier Field offering upscale sports bar amenities including private restrooms, four full-service bars, specialty food stations, 40+ HD TVs, and live DJ entertainment. Requires a separate mobile pass in addition to a game ticket.
• Chicago Bears Pro Shop Official online merchandise store operated in partnership with Fanatics, offering team apparel, accessories, and memorabilia, with fulfillment and shipping managed exclusively by Fanatics, Inc.
• Chicago Bears Training Camp by LRS Annual open practice sessions at Halas Hall featuring 10 public practice dates, free to attend with required ticket registration via Ticketmaster, presented by sponsor LRS.

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hallmark Media / NFL / Skydance SportsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story' movie, set to premiere during Hallmark Channel's 17th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event in 2026
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Ticket Marketplace of the Chicago Bears providing ticket sales, transfers, and mobile entry for all games and training camp
• VerizoncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrought to you by Verizon - sponsor of the Chicago Bears Official App for mobile ticketing and content delivery
• Miller LitecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMiller Lite Midway premium climate-controlled space sponsor at Soldier Field featuring bars, food stations, and entertainment
• LRSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of 2026 Chicago Bears Training Camp featuring 10 open practice sessions at Halas Hall
• PNCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor of Small Business All-Pros program recognizing local entrepreneurs across Chicagoland
• FanaticscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates the official Pro Shop (store.chicagobears.com) for team merchandise fulfillment and shipping
• EA SportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCaleb Williams featured as Madden NFL 27 cover athlete, representing major marketing partnership for the franchise

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Green Bay Packers: Same NFC North division rival, similarly historic NFL franchise founded in 1919, privately held community-owned team that competes head-to-head with the Bears on field and for Chicago-area vs. Wisconsin fan loyalty.
• Minnesota Vikings: Direct NFC North division opponent; comparable privately-held NFL franchise competing for Midwest market share, sponsorship dollars, and regional sports media coverage against the Bears.
• Detroit Lions: NFC North division peer and the source of head coach Ben Johnson before he joined the Bears. Closely comparable operating model — Midwest-based, privately-held NFL franchise with similar media market dynamics.
• Pittsburgh Steelers: Comparable historic NFL franchise with multiple Super Bowl wins, privately held by the Rooney family, operating with strong regional identity and a similarly passionate fan base anchored in a legacy industrial city.
• Dallas Cowboys: America's Team — comparable globally iconic NFL brand and consistently top-valued franchise, serving as a benchmark for sponsorship, merchandise, and media monetization against which the Bears' brand power is measured.
• New York Giants: Historically significant NFL franchise based in the nation's largest media market with comparable brand legacy, multiple Super Bowl championships, and similarly family-influenced ownership structure.
• New England Patriots: Comparable dynastic NFL franchise with multiple Super Bowl wins over the past 25 years, family-controlled ownership (Kraft family), and similar mid-market operating dynamics outside the largest U.S. media markets.
• Indianapolis Colts: Comparable NFL franchise that defeated the Bears in Super Bowl XLI (2006) and shares Midwest regional dynamics; mid-sized market team with family/individual ownership and similar ticket/sponsorship structure.

Broad incumbents

• National Football League (NFL): The league organization itself — operates as the umbrella governing body, central media-rights distributor, and shared-revenue administrator across all 32 franchises including the Bears.

Others

• Fanatics: Operates the official Chicago Bears Pro Shop and is the league-wide merchandise and licensed sports products partner for the NFL; relevant as the channel/distribution infrastructure that monetizes Bears brand into consumer merchandise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chicagobears
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP0Cdc6moLMyDJiO0s-yhbQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/chicagobears
• Instagraminstagram.com/chicagobears
• TikToktiktok.com/@chicagobears?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-bears

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chicago Bears