Bay Area Panthers

What Bay Area Panthers does

The Bay Area Panthers is a privately held professional indoor football franchise competing in the Indoor Football League (IFL), founded in 2019 and co-owned by celebrity chef Roy Choi and former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch. The team plays home games at SAP Center in downtown San Jose — an approximately 17,500-seat arena nicknamed 'The Shark Tank' — while football operations and training are based at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center in Morgan Hill, California. On the field, the Panthers play an 8-on-8 indoor format on a 50-yard field and have rapidly emerged as an IFL powerhouse: winning the IFL National Championship in 2023 (their second season), posting consecutive 13-3 regular-season records in 2024 and 2025, and producing the 2025 IFL Offensive Player of the Year (Josh Tomas) and Defensive Player of the Year (Joe Foucha). The franchise is led by Head Coach and President of Football Operations Rob Keefe, a seven-time football champion across the IFL, AFL, and AF2.

The team's revenue model is event-driven and fan-based, centered on live game attendance at SAP Center and distributed across multiple ticket tiers — single-game, playoff, season (2026 deposits currently being sold via Ticketmaster), group packages (minimum 10 guests with premium experiences), family 4-packs, and suite rentals — supplemented by an online merchandise store, local sponsorships, and ancillary event entertainment such as the Panthers Dance Team, Fan Fest, and a Youth Dance Clinic. Distribution is multi-channel: Ticketmaster for primary sales, FEVO for groups and special offers, TicketSmarter as the authorized resale marketplace partner (since May 2025), and KNBR 1050 AM as the radio broadcast and weekly podcast partner. Supporting marketing and community-engagement channels include official social media accounts across Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube, NBC Sports Bay Area television coverage for playoff games, and community programming partnerships with Visit Morgan Hill and the Downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District.

Name

Bay Area Panthers

Legal name

Bay Area Panthers

Website

https://bayareapanthers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Bay Area Panthers is a privately held professional indoor football franchise in the IFL, co-owned by Roy Choi and Marshawn Lynch, playing home games at SAP Center in San Jose with operations in Morgan Hill, and monetizing through tickets, suites, merchandise, sponsorships, and community events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Indoor Football / Live Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arena & Stadium Operations (Large-Capacity Venues) (MPAGALAA), Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB)

Keywords

• Professional indoor football
• Live sports entertainment
• Game day tickets
• Team merchandise sales
• Sports sponsorship deals

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream through single-game tickets, playoff tickets, season tickets, group tickets (minimum 10 guests), family 4 packs, and suite seats sold via Ticketmaster and FEVO platforms
2. Sponsorships: Marketing and sponsorship rights sold to partners including TicketSmarter as official ticket resale marketplace partner
3. Merchandise Sales: Online store sales of Panthers merchandise including playoff merchandise and exclusive items
4. Event Entertainment: Revenue from game day entertainment including halftime performances, fan fest events, and premium game experiences

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bay Area Panthers operates a professional indoor football franchise competing in the Indoor Football League, delivering live game-day entertainment at SAP Center in San Jose. Its commercial offerings center on ticketed attendance (single-game, season, group, family 4-packs, suite seats) sold via Ticketmaster, FEVO, and TicketSmarter, supported by an online team merchandise store, sponsorships, and ancillary fan experiences such as the pregame Fan Fest, Panthers Dance Team performances, and a weekly KNBR radio podcast.

Product overview

The Bay Area Panthers is a professional indoor football team competing in the Indoor Football League (IFL) Western Conference. Founded in 2019 and co-owned by Roy Choi and Marshawn Lynch, the team plays home games at SAP Center in San Jose while football operations are based in Morgan Hill. The team's product portfolio centers on live game attendance experiences including single-game tickets (playoff and regular season), season tickets, group packages (10+ guests), family 4-packs, and premium suite rentals. Supporting offerings include the online merchandise store, youth dance clinic program with halftime performances, the Panthers Dance Team entertainment, pregame Fan Fest activities, and a weekly KNBR radio podcast. The team secured the IFL National Championship in 2023 and finished with the league's best regular season record in both 2024 (13-3) and 2025 (13-3).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Tickets Full-season ticket package for the Indoor Football League regular season, sold as an annual subscription with deposit and complimentary playoff ticket benefits for 2026.
• Playoff Tickets

Quantifiable outcome

• 13-3 regular season record (best in IFL)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TicketSmartercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 May 2025TicketSmarter became the official ticket resale marketplace partner of the Bay Area Panthers. The partnership provides exclusive marketing and sponsorship rights, giving fans a safe, trusted platform to buy and sell tickets. TicketSmarter offers tickets to more than 125,000 live events and is part of the Digital Ally Companies (NASDAQ: DGLY). The Panthers join a network of 300+ colleges/universities and 30+ conferences partnering with TicketSmarter.
• Visit Morgan HillcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Morgan Hill, a non-profit destination marketing organization, partnered with the Bay Area Panthers for community events including the Downtown Morgan Hill Summer Kickoff. The partnership promotes Morgan Hill as a sports and event tourism destination while supporting local community engagement through events featuring Panthers players and coaches.
• Downtown Morgan Hill Improvement DistrictminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Downtown Morgan Hill Improvement District (DMHID), a property and business improvement district, partnered with the Panthers for the Summer Kickoff & Twilight Market event. The event transformed downtown Morgan Hill into a community celebration featuring player meet-and-greets, football activities, and local vendor markets.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTicketmaster serves as the primary ticket sales platform for the Bay Area Panthers, handling single-game tickets, season tickets, playoff tickets, and suite seat purchases through am.ticketmaster.com/bayareapanthers.
• KNBRcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKNBR is the radio broadcast partner for Bay Area Panthers games and hosts the Bay Area Panthers Weekly Podcast featuring Head Coach Rob Keefe. Games are broadcast on KNBR 1050 AM radio.
• SAP CentercoreOthersSAP Center in San Jose serves as the home arena for Bay Area Panthers games. The arena, nicknamed 'The Shark Tank', has approximately 17,500 seating capacity. Parking is available through SAP Center lots.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vegas Knight Hawks: IFL Western Conference opponent that eliminated the Panthers in the 2025 playoff semifinal. Operates in the same league with identical schedule length and revenue model (ticket sales, group packages, sponsorships, merchandise).
• Northern Arizona Wranglers: IFL franchise where Rob Keefe previously coached. Direct league peer competing in the same Western Conference with identical indoor football product and revenue streams.
• Iowa Barnstormers: IFL franchise where Head Coach Rob Keefe previously served as Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator. Direct league peer with the same schedule, rules, and revenue model.
• San Diego Strike Force: IFL West Coast franchise sharing similar regional fan base overlap with the Panthers. Direct peer in the same league with comparable ticket pricing and group experience offerings.
• Sioux Falls Storm: IFL franchise that lost to the Panthers in the 2023 IFL National Championship. Direct competitor in the same league with comparable ticketing, sponsorship, and merchandise revenue structure.
• Quad City Steamwheelers: IFL franchise with the same game format, roster size, and revenue model (season tickets, group packages, suite seats, merchandise, local sponsorships). Direct comparable for league economics.
• Tucson Sugar Skulls: IFL franchise operating in the same league with the same 16-game schedule, comparable revenue mix (tickets, suite seats, merchandise, sponsorships), and target customer (local fans and corporate groups).
• Spokane Shock: IFL franchise where Rob Keefe previously served as both Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator. Direct peer with the same indoor football product, ticket structure, and league economics.

Broad incumbents

• Memphis Showboats: UFL spring football franchise. Operates in a different but adjacent alternative professional football league with similar revenue mix and a comparable fan target (regional professional football enthusiasts seeking an NFL-adjacent product).
• DC Defenders: UFL franchise and one of the higher-profile alternative professional football teams. Comparable as a spring/indoor-adjacent professional football franchise competing for the same category of fan and sponsorship dollars, though in a larger-media market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/panthersifl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bayareapanthersIFL
• Facebookfacebook.com/PanthersIFL
• Instagraminstagram.com/panthersifl/?path=football
• TikToktiktok.com/@panthersifl?path=football
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oaklandpanthers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Bay Area Panthers