Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a privately held NFL franchise owned by Jimmy Haslam through Haslam Sports Group, serving Northeast Ohio fans and national audiences with professional football, ticketing, merchandise, sponsorships, and digital fan engagement from Berea, Ohio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1946
- HeadquartersBerea, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cleveland Browns does
The Cleveland Browns are a professional NFL franchise competing in the AFC North Division, founded in 1946 and currently owned by Jimmy Haslam through Haslam Sports Group. The franchise operates two Ohio-based LLC entities — Cleveland Browns Football Company LLC (team operations) and Cleveland Browns Stadium Company LLC (venue operations) — with headquarters and training facilities at 76 Lou Groza Blvd in Berea. The organization serves a distributed base of NFL sports fans (season ticket holders, casual supporters, Browns Backers fan club members with worldwide chapters, Jr. Browns Backers, Barking Backers), corporate sponsors seeking brand exposure, and the Northeast Ohio regional community.
The Browns' core products center on live professional football entertainment delivered through approximately 10 home games annually at Huntington Bank Field, complemented by digital fan engagement platforms including the official website (clevelandbrowns.com), native iOS/Android mobile applications, and a Ticketmaster-integrated ticketing system. The team operates a multi-channel merchandise distribution network via the Browns Pro Shop, NFL Shop, and Fanatics retail partnerships. The franchise is a member-tenant of the NFL's collective media rights economy, receiving shared revenue from broadcast partnerships with CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, alongside team-specific revenue from ticket sales (single-game and season memberships under the Dawg Rewards loyalty program), corporate sponsorships, and non-football stadium events including concerts.
Revenue mechanics combine the NFL's centralized media rights pool, ticket transactions, advertising/sponsorship sales, and licensed merchandise. Season tickets are sold on an annual subscription basis with tiered pricing; single-game and suite tickets flow through direct sales teams and the Ticketmaster platform. The franchise is also investing in significant capital infrastructure: a $2.6 billion domed stadium project in Brook Park, Ohio is targeted for a 2029 opening, funded by $1.755 billion from Haslam Sports Group, $600 million from Ohio, and $245 million from Brook Park, with an associated $1 billion mixed-use development district. The Browns received an investment from Arctos Sports Partners in May 2026.
Cleveland Browns firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cleveland Browns
- Legal name
- Cleveland Browns Football Company LLC
- Website
- https://clevelandbrowns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1946
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Cleveland Browns are a privately held NFL franchise owned by Jimmy Haslam through Haslam Sports Group, serving Northeast Ohio fans and national audiences with professional football, ticketing, merchandise, sponsorships, and digital fan engagement from Berea, Ohio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cleveland Browns industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Entertainment
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sporting Goods Retailers (459110)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Franchise Ownership Groups & Multi-Club Organizations (Multi-team owners, holding companies) (MPAKABAJ), Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel) (CRAMAOAF)
Keywords
Where Cleveland Browns is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berea
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cleveland Browns business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from single-game tickets, season ticket memberships, and premium seating (suites, clubs) at Huntington Bank Field. The team competes for AFC North division title and playoff appearances to drive attendance.
- Media Rights: NFL media rights deals with broadcast partners (CBS, FOX, ESPN, NBC, Amazon) distribute revenue to all 32 teams, forming a substantial portion of annual revenue.
- Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship agreements with regional and national brands for signage, digital advertising, official partner designations, and in-stadium activations.
- Merchandise and Apparel: Sale of licensed team merchandise, apparel, and memorabilia through the Browns Pro Shop and third-party retail partners.
- Stadium Events: Non-football events at Huntington Bank Field including concerts (Usher/Chris Brown, Foo Fighters), community events, and corporate rentals generate additional venue revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Season Ticket Memberships - Multiple seating tiers with benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Cleveland Browns product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Cleveland Browns operate a professional NFL franchise fielding a football team that competes in the AFC North Division. The franchise sells single-game and season ticket memberships, premium seating and suites at Huntington Bank Field, and licensed team merchandise through the Browns Pro Shop. It also generates revenue through corporate sponsorships, NFL media rights distributions, and non-football events hosted at the stadium.
Product overview
The Cleveland Browns operate primarily as an NFL franchise with its core product being professional football team content and fan engagement. The team's digital presence centers on its official website and mobile app, which serve as hubs for news, schedules, video/audio content, ticketing (via Ticketmaster integration), and merchandise (via shop.clevelandbrowns.com). The organization maintains multiple fan engagement programs including Browns Backers (worldwide fan club), Jr. Browns Backers (kids club), and Barking Backers (dog owners club), alongside the Dawg Rewards season ticket member loyalty program. The team also operates the Cleveland Browns Foundation and Browns Give Back community initiatives, and hosts events at Huntington Bank Field stadium.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Season Ticket Memberships
Quantifiable outcome
- Playoff victory over Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020 wild-card round was described by Joel Bitonio as the defining moment of his career, demonstrating the emotional value of winning for fans.
Companies that use Cleveland Browns
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cleveland Browns technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Cleveland Browns partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association)coreThe OHSAA partnered with the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pro Football Hall of Fame for the inaugural Girls Flag Football State Championship Tournament in May 2026. This partnership supports the growth of flag football as OHSAA's 29th sanctioned sport and 15th overall sport for girls. The number of high school flag football teams in Ohio grew from 20 schools three years ago to 162 teams in the 2026 spring sports season.
- Huntington Bank FieldcoreThe team's home stadium is Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. The Browns also have a new stadium project planned for Brook Park with a 2029 opening target.
- University HospitalsminorUniversity Hospitals is a partner for team medical services and hosts the annual SportsLand event featuring Browns players. The team's head physician Dr. James Voos performs surgeries and participates in community panels with players.
- TicketmastercoreOfficial ticketing partner for single-game tickets and season ticket membership distribution through integrated platform.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Cleveland Browns competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chicago Bears: Midwest NFL franchise comparable in market size, private ownership history, and ongoing stadium redevelopment (Arlington Heights), mirroring the Browns' Brook Park stadium project dynamics.
- New York Giants: Comparable legacy NFL franchise with similar private ownership structure, large market presence, and parallel experience navigating quarterback uncertainty and rebuild cycles.
- Cincinnati Bengals: AFC North division rival, Ohio-based direct competitor, and current partner with the Browns and Pro Football Hall of Fame on the OHSAA girls flag football initiative.
- Baltimore Ravens: AFC North division rival and direct on-field competitor, sharing identical NFL media-rights, salary-cap, and revenue-sharing economics while competing for the same regional fan base.
- Green Bay Packers: Closest geographic NFL peer with a unique community-ownership model that contrasts with the Browns' private Haslam ownership while operating under identical NFL media-rights economics.
- Detroit Lions: Regional Midwest NFL peer with similar demographic profile, recent rebuild-to-contender trajectory, and shared divisional/regional sponsorship and broadcast competition.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: AFC North division rival that competes head-to-head with the Browns twice per season and shares the same regional media market, sponsorship pool, and fan-base dynamic in Pennsylvania/Ohio.
- Los Angeles Rams: NFL franchise counterparty in the 2026 Myles Garrett-for-Jared Verse trade; comparable large-market NFL team with modern stadium economics (SoFi) and similar media-rights revenue profile.
- Milwaukee Bucks: Sibling franchise under Haslam Sports Group ownership; provides a direct comparison for cross-asset operating leverage, shared sponsorship sales, and group-level strategic capital allocation.
Broad incumbents
- Haslam Sports Group: Parent conglomerate that owns both the Browns and the Bucks; relevant peer entity for evaluating group-level capital allocation, multi-club synergies, and cross-asset franchise management practices.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cleveland Browns social profiles
Digital presenceCleveland Browns compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cleveland Browns financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cleveland Browns leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cleveland Browns funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cleveland Browns M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cleveland Browns
What does Cleveland Browns do?
The Cleveland Browns operate a professional NFL franchise fielding a football team that competes in the AFC North Division. The franchise sells single-game and season ticket memberships, premium seating and suites at Huntington Bank Field, and licensed team merchandise through the Browns Pro Shop. It also generates revenue through corporate sponsorships, NFL media rights distributions, and non-football events hosted at the stadium.
Is Cleveland Browns a public or private company?
Cleveland Browns is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cleveland Browns founded?
Cleveland Browns was founded in 1946. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Cleveland Browns based?
Cleveland Browns is headquartered in Berea, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cleveland Browns make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are media Rights, sponsorships and Partnerships, merchandise and Apparel and stadium Events.
Who are Cleveland Browns's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams and Milwaukee Bucks. Haslam Sports Group is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cleveland Browns have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cleveland Browns.
What industry is Cleveland Browns in?
Cleveland Browns's product category is Professional Sports Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKABAA, Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAKABAJ, Franchise Ownership Groups & Multi-Club Organizations (Multi-team owners, holding companies). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.