What Detroit Lions does

The Detroit Lions are a professional American football franchise competing in the NFC North division of the National Football League. Founded in 1934 when the Portsmouth Spartans were relocated to Detroit, the team plays home games at Ford Field in downtown Detroit and conducts training operations at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, Michigan. The franchise is privately held by the Ford family, with Sheila Ford Hamp as principal owner, and operates with a head coach (Dan Campbell, since January 2021), an executive vice president and general manager (Brad Holmes), and a coaching, scouting, and administrative staff estimated in the 251-500 employee range.

The Lions' core operations span football performance, talent evaluation, and fan engagement. Football operations are supported by a sports science program led by Director of Sports Science Jill Costanza, utilizing performance and rehabilitation analytics. The team's digital ecosystem comprises detroitlions.com as the central hub, complemented by a mobile app on iOS and Android, a podcast, the Lions Online Store at shop.detroitlions.com, and presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X. Community-facing programs include Lions Impact, the Detroit Lions Cheerleaders, flag football championships, football education, fan clubs, and the Lions Drumline. The Lions have invested heavily in player retention, committing more than $361M in long-term contracts to core players (including Aidan Hutchinson at $180M and Jack Campbell at $81M) since 2024.

The Lions monetize through four primary revenue streams: game-day ticketing (season tickets, single-game, premium suites) distributed via Ticketmaster and DetroitLions.com; league-shared broadcasting and media rights revenue from the NFL's network deals with Fox, CBS, ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon; merchandise and licensed product sales through shop.detroitlions.com and the NFL Shop; and corporate sponsorships including stadium naming rights (Ford Field), facility naming (Meijer Performance Center), video content sponsorships (UMMU Credit Union), and community program branding (Pet Supplies Plus). Pricing is structured around annual season ticket memberships with tiered seating, single-game tickets, premium hospitality, and merchandise retail. The franchise serves NFL fans across Detroit, the broader Midwest, and nationally via broadcast and digital channels, plus corporate partners seeking association with the team's rising national profile.

Name

Detroit Lions

Legal name

Detroit Lions, Ltd.

Website

https://detroitlions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Detroit Lions are an NFL professional football franchise in the NFC North, privately owned by the Ford family, playing home games at Ford Field in Detroit and serving football fans across the Midwest and nationally via broadcast, digital, and merchandise channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Sporting Goods Retailers (459110), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

American Football Leagues (MPAKAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team & League Branded Merchandise Retail (Non-Apparel) (CRAMAOAF), Arena & Stadium Operations (Large-Capacity Venues) (MPAGALAA), Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO), League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC), Professional & Major League Stadiums (MPAKAEAA), American Football Equipment Retail (CRAMAEAD)

Keywords

• Professional football entertainment
• NFL game tickets
• Licensed sports merchandise
• Team sponsorship packages
• Sports media broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Allen Park

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Game Day Ticket Sales: The Lions generate revenue through single-game tickets, season ticket memberships, and premium suite/hospitality seating at Ford Field. The 2026 season features home games against NFC North rivals and playoff-contending teams.
2. Broadcasting and Media Rights: NFL broadcasting deals with major networks (Fox, CBS, ESPN/ABC, NBC, Amazon) distribute revenue to all 32 teams, including the Lions. The Lions' games are broadcast nationally and locally throughout the regular and postseason.
3. Merchandise and Licensed Products: The Lions operate an online team store (shop.detroitlions.com) selling jerseys, apparel, accessories, and memorabilia. The Lions also have an official partnership with the NFL Shop for broader merchandise distribution.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: The Lions sell corporate sponsorship packages including stadium naming rights (Ford Field), facility naming (Meijer Performance Center), video content sponsorships, and community program branding (Pet Adoption Day presented by Pet Supplies Plus).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Detroit Lions operate a professional American football franchise competing in the NFL's NFC North division. They sell season and single-game tickets, suite and group hospitality at Ford Field, licensed team merchandise through the Lions Online Store and NFL Shop, corporate sponsorship packages, and broadcast media rights. They also produce original digital content (podcasts, video) and run community fan engagement programs such as training camp open practices, Back Together Weekend, and Lions Impact.

Product overview

The Detroit Lions operate as an NFL franchise with a digital ecosystem consisting of the official website (detroitlions.com) as the primary platform, supplemented by the Lions Online Store for merchandise, a mobile app for fan engagement, training camp programs, community outreach through Lions Impact, and podcast content. The team plays home games at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Ticket Memberships Annual membership program granting priority seating, playoff priority access, member-exclusive events, and tiered pricing for Lions home games at Ford Field.
• Single-Game and Suite Tickets Individual regular-season game tickets, premium suite rentals, and group/hospitality ticket packages for fans attending Lions home games at Ford Field.
• Lions Online Store (Merchandise) Official e-commerce storefront at shop.detroitlions.com selling licensed Lions jerseys, apparel, accessories, and memorabilia to fans.
• Detroit Lions Mobile App Official iOS and Android mobile application delivering team news, video content, schedules, and fan engagement features to Lions supporters.
• Training Camp Fan Programs Annual summer fan engagement programs including free public open practices, Back Together Weekend, Community Partner Day, and Pet Adoption Day held at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park.
• Lions Impact Community Programs Community outreach initiatives including Football Education, Detroit Lions Cheerleaders, Lions Entertainment, fan clubs, Honolulu Boom drumline, and Roary mascot programs.
• Detroit Lions Podcast and Audio Content On-demand audio programming featuring player interviews, game analysis, and team updates distributed through the Lions website and podcast platforms.
• NFL Broadcast Game Distribution Regular-season and postseason Lions games distributed nationally through NFL broadcasting partners including Fox, CBS, ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video, generating shared league revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 wins in 2024 season (franchise record), along with 70 touchdowns and 564 points scored
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meijer Performance CentercoreOthers · 27 June 2026The Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park has been the Lions' training camp home for 20 consecutive years. Meijer is a supercenter retail chain based in Michigan. The facility naming rights partnership enables the Lions to conduct all training camp operations at a dedicated, modern practice complex.
• Pet Supplies PlusminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2026Pet Supplies Plus sponsors the Lions' annual Pet Adoption Day at training camp. This community-focused event promotes pet adoption and animal welfare while providing Lions fans with a family-friendly experience at the team's training camp.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or Integration · 27 June 2026The Lions use Ticketmaster as their primary digital ticketing platform for season tickets, single-game tickets, suite rentals, and group tickets. Fans access tickets through Ticketmaster and DetroitLions.com's integration.
• UMMU Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 June 2026UMMU Credit Union sponsors Lions video content including opponent previews, coaching interviews, and media sessions. The partnership provides financial services branding alongside Lions football content across the team's digital platforms.
• Ford FieldcoreOthersFord Field is the Lions' home stadium in downtown Detroit, hosting all 17 regular-season home games plus potential playoff games. The stadium is managed by the team and serves as the anchor of the Lions' game-day experience and revenue generation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Green Bay Packers: NFC North division rival of the Lions, also a historic privately held community-owned NFL franchise. Both teams compete for the same regional fan base, sponsorship dollars, and division title each season.
• Chicago Bears: NFC North rival and one of the NFL's flagship franchises. Comparable as a privately owned team operating in a major Midwest media market with overlapping sponsorship inventory and regional fan competition.
• Minnesota Vikings: NFC North rival competing directly for division titles. The Vikings' recent GM search intersected with Detroit's front office (Ray Agnew interviewed), highlighting the tight peer dynamic in personnel and roster construction.
• Kansas City Chiefs: Model of recent NFL competitive and commercial success with a young franchise QB and modern front office. Comparable to Detroit as a benchmark for what a sustained contender can achieve in valuation, sponsorships, and merchandise.
• Baltimore Ravens: NFL franchise widely respected for elite talent evaluation and a strong defensive identity. Closely comparable to Detroit for its draft-and-develop model, GM continuity, and culture-driven rebuild.
• Buffalo Bills: Closest comparable turnaround story to the Lions — a small-market team that broke a long playoff drought via smart drafting and a culture overhaul. Useful analog for projecting Lions' brand and revenue trajectory.
• Philadelphia Eagles: NFC peer with an aggressive, analytics-driven front office and a recent Super Bowl appearance. Comparable in the breadth of its offensive talent and willingness to commit cap to a young core.
• San Francisco 49ers: NFC peer that built a sustained contender through the draft and trades. Comparable in offensive philosophy and reliance on homegrown skill-position talent.
• Pittsburgh Steelers: Historically stable NFL franchise with a multi-generational culture of winning and an analytically minded front office. Comparable to Detroit as a model for sustained relevance without frequent regime change.
• Cleveland Browns: AFC North franchise that has invested heavily in quarterback and roster cap with mixed results. Useful as a counter-example peer for Detroit's draft-and-develop path within the same regional Midwest sports economy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DetroitLions
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/detroitlionsnfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/DetroitLions
• Instagraminstagram.com/detroitlionsnfl
• TikToktiktok.com/@detroitlions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/detroit-lions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Detroit Lions