Packers financial viability warning follows rare operating loss
Packers CEO Ed Policy said Green Bay needs more revenue as rising player costs pushed the team to a rare operating loss.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
The Packers financial viability question is suddenly on the front burner in Green Bay, where president and CEO Ed Policy said the NFL’s only publicly owned franchise may need new revenue moves to keep pace with rivals over the long haul.
Policy made the comments Friday as the team released its financial results for the 2026 fiscal year, according to the Associated Press. The update came three days before the Packers’ annual shareholders meeting.
Green Bay reported an operating loss for the first time in a non-pandemic year since fiscal 1990, according to the team figures cited by the Associated Press. The bottom-line picture was more comfortable: overall net income rose 54.8% to $132.5 million.
That profit was powered by $133.6 million in nonoperating revenue, which the Associated Press said included gains from corporate investments and the team’s share from ESPN’s purchase of NFL Network.
Why is Packers financial viability under scrutiny?
The Packers are publicly owned, which makes them an outlier in the NFL. Policy said other franchises can tap capital sources Green Bay cannot, including selling minority stakes without giving up control.
Policy compared the difference to other clubs having access to an “ATM machine” that the Packers do not currently have, the Associated Press reported.
Each of the NFL’s 32 teams received $453.2 million from the league, mostly from television contracts, according to the Associated Press. The Packers’ own operating results still ran slightly underwater: $753 million in revenue against $754.1 million in expenses.
The gap came as operating revenue rose 4.7% while expenses climbed 18.7%, according to the team’s figures cited by the Associated Press.
Policy said the jump was driven by a $130 million rise in player costs. Green Bay traded for All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys last year and signed him to a four-year, $188 million deal with $136 million guaranteed, according to the Associated Press.
The team also sped up payments to some players who had been traded, Policy said.
What could the Packers do to raise more money?
Policy said the Packers will need to be more aggressive in bringing in revenue because the cost of competing in the NFL is rising and other teams have more ways to raise capital, according to the Associated Press.
One option is selling sponsorship rights tied to the practice facility. Policy said the Packers do not plan to sell naming rights to Lambeau Field, but they are open to doing so with the team’s practice facility.
The football field at Titletown, the development west of Lambeau Field with offices, shops, restaurants and apartments, has already been renamed Emplify Health Field through a sponsorship agreement, according to the Associated Press.
The Packers are also looking to stage more events at Lambeau Field. The Associated Press cited Luke Combs concerts held in May and a Notre Dame-Wisconsin football game scheduled for Sept. 6 as examples of the kind of bookings the team is pursuing.
Policy said he feels good about the Packers’ financial strength in the short and medium term, according to the Associated Press. His warning was aimed at longer-term trends and making sure the team can keep investing in players, football staff and facilities needed to build what he called a championship-caliber team.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.