Green Bay Packers CEO Ed Policy acknowledged that the team faces financial challenges in competing with other NFL franchises, stating that rivals have access to capital sources the Packers do not. For the first time since 1990, excluding the 2020 season, the Packers operated at a loss.
"It's like other teams have access to this ATM machine that we just don't have right now," Policy said, as reported by the Associated Press. He emphasized the need for more aggressive revenue generation, noting the rising costs of competing in the NFL. "We all know the cost of competing in the NFL is going up, and other teams have access to capital sources that we just don't have."
As the NFL's only publicly owned franchise, Green Bay reported $753 million in revenue against $754.1 million in expenses for its last fiscal year. While revenues increased by 4.7 percent and net income rose by 54.8 percent from the previous year, the team's ownership structure is becoming a factor as league ownership increasingly involves private equity. Green Bay's active roster payroll is approximately $281.6 million, ranking 21st among 32 teams.
Policy expressed confidence in the Packers' short- and medium-term financial strength but indicated a close watch on long-term trends. "We do have to make sure that we're always in a position where we can continue to invest wisely in whatever it takes to field a championship-caliber team, whether that's player costs, football staff or facilities," he stated.
The CEO also confirmed that the team has no plans to sell naming rights to Lambeau Field and acknowledged the difficulty in raising funds through minority stake sales, a common practice for other teams. Despite these financial considerations, the Packers have maintained consistent on-field performance, reaching the playoffs in four of the past five seasons with a 50-34-1 record in that span, though they have secured only one playoff victory.