What Phoenix Suns does

The Phoenix Suns are a privately-held NBA professional basketball franchise founded in 1968, headquartered at the Mortgage Matchup Center in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and owned (since 2023) by Mat Ishbia, with a minority stake held by Dyal HomeCourt Partners (Blue Owl). The franchise competes in the Western Conference Pacific Division and fields a roster anchored by franchise-icon Devin Booker and supplemented by post-2025-acquisition players Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and 2026 draft pick Koa Peat, with Jordan Ott serving as head coach and Brian Gregory as general manager. Operations extend beyond the NBA team through the wholly-owned Valley Suns (the NBA G League's 31st franchise, providing player development) and a co-tenancy with the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury at the shared arena.

The franchise monetizes a diversified portfolio of revenue streams: ticket sales and season-ticket memberships (transaction-based), media rights via an over-the-air partnership with Gray Media running through 2030 alongside DTC streaming on plus.suns.com and the Arizona's Family Sports App (subscription/recurring reach), sponsorships including a PayPal highlights partnership (advertising), and merchandise via the Fanatics-powered Shop.Suns.com (transaction fees). Distribution spans free-to-air broadcast reaching approximately 3 million Arizona homes, a streaming subscription product, a primary owned e-commerce storefront, and a GTM motion centered on event-driven game nights, theme nights, and PHX ID loyalty mechanics at the arena.

Operationally the franchise is in a transition phase: the 2025-26 regular season finished 45-37 (No. 8 seed in the West, made the playoffs via play-in, swept in the first round by OKC), followed by an aggressive 2026 off-season retool — re-signing Gillespie, Goodwin, and Williams on multi-year fully guaranteed deals and trading up in the draft — that takes the club north of the $200.4M luxury-tax line. The combination of preserved OTA broadcast economics (which avoided an estimated $36M annual RSN rights loss), newly launched DTC streaming consolidation, and an expanded G-League affiliate positions the franchise for sustained engagement and revenue scale, while the post-Durant reset signals a medium-term competitive rebuild.

Name

Phoenix Suns

Legal name

Phoenix Suns

Website

https://suns.nba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Phoenix Suns are a privately-held NBA basketball franchise founded in 1968, owned by Mat Ishbia, competing in the league's Western Conference from the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and generating revenue from tickets, over-the-air broadcast rights, sponsorships, merchandise, and streaming subscriptions for Arizona sports fans and the broader NBA audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Franchise (NBA Basketball)

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Basketball Leagues (MPAKAAAD)

Keywords

• Professional basketball
• NBA franchise
• Sports entertainment
• Live event ticketing
• Team merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual game tickets, season ticket packages, and premium seating at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix
2. Media Rights and Broadcast: Over-the-air broadcast partnership with Gray Media through 2030, generating viewership revenue with games averaging 110,000 viewers per game ranking top four in NBA local household viewership
3. Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store (Shop.Suns.com) selling jerseys, apparel, and fan gear
4. Team Ownership/Stake Sales: Sale of minority ownership stakes in the franchise to institutional investors like Dyal HomeCourt Partners
5. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship deals including partnerships with PayPal for highlights and other corporate partners

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Phoenix Suns are a professional NBA basketball franchise competing in the Western Conference Pacific Division, based at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The franchise sells live game tickets, season memberships, team merchandise via shop.suns.com, and offers streaming access to games through the Phoenix Suns+ subscription service and the Arizona's Family Sports App. Supporting revenue lines include broadcast rights (Gray Media partnership through 2030), corporate sponsorships, and G-League operations through the Valley Suns affiliate.

Product overview

The Phoenix Suns operate as an NBA professional basketball franchise with a portfolio of related products and services. The core offering is the NBA basketball team competing in the Western Conference. Supporting the team are the Valley Suns G-League affiliate for player development, an official merchandise shop (shop.suns.com), the Phoenix Suns+ subscription streaming service (plus.suns.com) for live game viewing, and the Arizona's Family Sports App for over-the-air and streaming broadcasts. The team has extended its broadcast partnership with Gray Media through 2030, positioning itself as a leader in local NBA viewership with approximately 110,000 viewers per game.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phoenix Suns NBA Basketball Team The Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team competing in the Western Conference Pacific Division, featuring All-Star guard Devin Booker and a roster built around continuity, playing home games at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
• Valley Suns (G-League Affiliate) The Valley Suns is the Phoenix Suns' NBA G League affiliate, established as the league's 31st franchise, providing development opportunities for players between college and the NBA.
• Phoenix Suns Merchandise Shop (Shop.Suns.com) The official online merchandise store for Phoenix Suns apparel, jerseys, accessories, and fan gear, accessible at shop.suns.com and powered by Fanatics, selling globally to fans.
• Phoenix Suns+ (Plus) Streaming Subscription A subscription streaming service for watching Phoenix Suns games live, accessible at plus.suns.com, providing direct-to-consumer access to live team broadcasts.
• Arizona's Family Sports App A direct-to-consumer streaming application for Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury games, launched as part of the broadcast partnership extension with Gray Media through 2030, consolidating both teams' DTC streaming options onto a single platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 110,000 average viewers per game, ranking top 4 in NBA local household viewership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Gray MediaflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 May 2026Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury extended their over-the-air broadcast partnership with Gray Media through 2030, consolidating both teams' DTC streaming apps into Gray's Arizona's Family Sports App. The Suns became the first NBA team to secure a long-term renewal with an OTA broadcaster, validating owner Mat Ishbia's 2023 decision to abandon a $36 million RSN rights fee. Suns games averaged 110,000 viewers per game (top four in NBA) and Mercury viewership increased 500% since moving to OTA.
• Valley Suns (G-League)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2024The Valley Suns became the NBA G League's 31st franchise as the Suns' G-League affiliate, providing player development opportunities and serving as a pathway for players between college and the NBA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Lakers: The Los Angeles Lakers are an NBA Western Conference franchise with a similarly large-market media profile, comparable revenue mix (tickets, broadcast, merchandise, sponsorships), and a focus on star-driven content. Most directly comparable franchise in terms of media rights strategy and brand value.
• Golden State Warriors: The Golden State Warriors are an NBA Western Conference Pacific Division rival with comparable ticket pricing, a modern arena, and a strong DTC/streaming presence. The Warriors set the template for tech-forward NBA fan monetization, making them a directly relevant comparable.
• Boston Celtics: The Boston Celtics are an NBA Eastern Conference franchise with a deep historical brand, comparable championship aspirations, and a similar mix of season-ticket-driven gate revenue plus national media rights. Comparable on premium pricing and merchandising economics.
• Dallas Mavericks: The Dallas Mavericks are an NBA Western Conference franchise with a high-profile owner-driven media profile, a similar mix of local broadcast and DTC monetization, and comparable recent roster retooling dynamics. Direct peer on revenue model and ownership-style brand building.
• Miami Heat: The Miami Heat are an NBA Eastern Conference franchise known for strong organizational culture, premium pricing, and a media-rights strategy that has emphasized innovation. Comparable on competitive ambitions and disciplined roster management.
• Milwaukee Bucks: The Milwaukee Bucks are an NBA Eastern Conference franchise with a similar recent-championship pedigree, a modernized arena, and a comparable G-League affiliate structure for player development. Direct peer on team operations and talent pipeline economics.
• Brooklyn Nets: The Brooklyn Nets are an NBA Eastern Conference franchise that has recently undergone ownership-driven strategic shifts, similar in structure to the Ishbia-era Suns. Both teams have navigated star trades, roster retools, and brand repositioning.
• New York Knicks: The New York Knicks are an NBA Eastern Conference franchise with a similarly iconic historical brand, premium gate revenue, and a large national following. Comparable on merchandise economics and media rights value.
• Atlanta Hawks: The Atlanta Hawks are an NBA Eastern Conference mid-market franchise with a comparable mix of local broadcast, season tickets, and DTC streaming. Useful peer for evaluating broadcast renewal strategy and mid-tier market economics.
• Denver Nuggets: The Denver Nuggets are an NBA Western Conference franchise with a similar mid-market, internally developed championship roster model. Comparable on the cost-controlled core strategy the Suns are pursuing with Gillespie, Goodwin, and Williams.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Suns
• YouTubeyoutube.com/phxsuns
• Facebookfacebook.com/suns
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phoenix-suns
• Instagraminstagram.com/suns

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Phoenix Suns