What Houston Rockets does

The Houston Rockets are a privately held professional basketball franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), competing in the Western Conference Southwest Division. The franchise was established in 1967 as the San Diego Rockets and relocated to Houston later that year. The team plays home games at the Toyota Center and operates from its headquarters in Houston, Texas, with 101–250 employees. The Rockets are wholly owned by Tilman Fertitta through Fertitta Entertainment, following his 2017 acquisition of the franchise for approximately $2.2 billion. The current roster combines veteran star talent, notably Kevin Durant (acquired in a 2025 trade from the Phoenix Suns) and Fred VanVleet, with a developing young core including Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard. Under head coach Ime Udoka, the team posted a 52-30 record in the 2025-26 season, finishing fifth in the Western Conference before a first-round playoff exit. The Rockets also own the NBA G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers as a developmental affiliate.

The franchise generates revenue across multiple streams typical of large-market NBA teams, including ticket sales, arena concessions, merchandise, national and regional broadcast and streaming rights, and corporate sponsorships. Recent commercial activity includes multi-year international marketing partnerships with WeTrade and a U.S. partnership with VEVOR. The team distributes through the Toyota Center home arena, NBA broadcast rights holders, and corporate sponsorship channels, and markets directly to fans via its website, app, and social media platforms. The core product is the live professional basketball game experience supplemented by fan engagement, community programs, and branded merchandise; the franchise does not operate a platform-plus-modules technology architecture. The Fertitta family expanded its sports holdings in 2026 with the $300 million acquisition of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun, which will be relocated to Houston as the Houston Comets beginning with the 2027 season.

Name

Houston Rockets

Legal name

Houston Rockets

Website

https://rockets.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Houston Rockets are a privately held NBA franchise owned by Tilman Fertitta, operating in Houston, Texas, that fields a professional basketball team, sells tickets, merchandise, and sponsorships, and serves fans, corporate sponsors, and broadcast media partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), 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

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), Professional Live Sports Leagues & Tours (MPAGAMAA), Performance & Incentive-Based Endorsements (Bonuses, Royalties, Affiliate/CPA Deals) (MPAKALAI)

Keywords

• Professional basketball team
• NBA franchise
• Live sports entertainment
• Sports merchandise retail
• Corporate sports sponsorships

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Houston Rockets operate a professional NBA basketball franchise, fielding a team that competes in the Western Conference Southwest Division. The franchise sells live game experiences at Toyota Center, licensed team merchandise, broadcast and streaming content, and corporate sponsorship packages, while also operating a G League developmental affiliate (Rio Grande Valley Vipers).

Product overview

The Houston Rockets are an NBA basketball franchise that operates as a single product offering live professional basketball games, fan experiences, and associated merchandise. The team competes in the NBA Western Conference and does not operate a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Houston Rockets NBA Franchise (Live Game Experience)
• Rio Grande Valley Vipers (NBA G League Affiliate)
• Houston Comets (WNBA Franchise, launching 2027)
• Corporate Sponsorship and Partnership Packages
• Houston Rockets 2026-27 Classic Uniforms

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WeTradecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 June 2026Multi-year international marketing partnership with financial broker WeTrade. The collaboration includes digital campaigns, global activations, and exclusive experiences for fans and traders worldwide, supporting WeTrade's continued global expansion strategy. This partnership follows WeTrade's previous collaborations with Paris Saint-Germain and Phantom Global in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship.
• Fertitta Family (WNBA Expansion)coreOthers · 4 May 2026Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta's family completed the $300 million purchase of the Connecticut Sun WNBA franchise, with approval to relocate the team to Houston as the Houston Comets starting with the 2027 season. This marks the revival of the original WNBA franchise that won four consecutive titles from 1997-2000.
• VEVORminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2026VEVOR, a global tools and home-improvement e-commerce brand, announced a newly negotiated partnership with the Houston Rockets NBA franchise. The partnership is part of VEVOR's strategic U.S. growth initiative alongside their first Houston brick-and-mortar store opening and Power 15 Deal Days promotional event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Lakers: Direct NBA Western Conference peer; eliminated the Rockets in the first round of the 2025-26 playoffs. Among the most valuable franchises in the league, providing a comp for premium NBA valuation benchmarks.
• Golden State Warriors: Direct NBA Western Conference peer with a comparable star-plus-young-core roster model (Curry/Thompson era transitioning). Comparable in size, valuation tier, and global sponsorship appeal.
• Dallas Mavericks: Southwest Division rival and fellow Texas-based NBA franchise. Comparable market dynamics (Texas sponsors, regional broadcast) and roster-building approach centered around a transcendent star.
• San Antonio Spurs: Southwest Division peer with a young developmental core (Wembanyama). Comparable in market size (mid-tier Texas metro) and stage of competitive rebuild.
• Phoenix Suns: Western Conference peer and direct counterparty in the 2025 Kevin Durant trade. Comparable in market positioning as a non-top-3 metro franchise investing aggressively in star talent.
• Boston Celtics: NBA peer and former team of head coach Ime Udoka. Represents a championship-caliber comparable and a model for star-laden roster construction.
• Miami Heat: Direct NBA peer and member of the Eastern Conference elite. Comparable in valuation tier and as a mid-market franchise punching above its weight through culture and player development.
• Atlanta Hawks: Direct NBA peer at a similar competitive tier (mid-seed, developing young core). Useful comp for franchises seeking to balance rebuild timelines with on-court competitiveness.
• New York Knicks: Direct NBA peer and recent trade counterpart in the 2026 draft asset swap. Comparable as a high-media-value franchise and as a benchmark for NBA media-rights economics.
• Brooklyn Nets: Direct NBA peer; useful comp for a franchise pursuing a global brand strategy and operating in a competitive media market, providing contrast on roster-building outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/houstonrockets
• Facebookfacebook.com/houstonrockets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-rockets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Houston Rockets