Sports billionaire who wants to beat Bob Iger to Vegas NBA takeover just sealed $60m deal

Sports billionaire Bill Foley is pushing to win the Las Vegas NBA takeover, underscored by a newly completed deal worth about $60 million for Premiership Rugby club Exeter Chiefs. The NBA franchise expansion expected to cost the eventual winner between $7 billion and $10 billion would be a major step for Foley’s Black Knight Sports & Entertainment portfolio. Foley already owns the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights and also backs the indoor Vegas Knight Hawks and Premier League club AFC Bournemouth. The article frames the move as part of broader capital flows from private equity into sports, driven by steady profits, resilient economics, and the experience-economy appeal. Foley’s activity highlights how ambitious bids for the NBA’s first Las Vegas team could involve both major sports investors and private equity capital, competing against other wealthy suitors.