Celtics ownership bidding down to 4 groups

The field of competitors to buy the Boston Celtics is narrowing down.

A group led by current Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca is still in the running to take over the franchise, but three other candidates "remain engaged in bidding," according to Sportico. They are the Houston-based Friedkin Group, Philadelphia Phillies minority owner Stanley C. Middleman, and Symphony Technology Group managing partner William Chisholm.

Despite the competition to buy the team, Pagliuca "has been viewed by many in the industry as a front-runner to land the team given his insider status," per Sportico.

Friedkin Group CEO Dan Friedkin's holdings include two sports clubs, both international soccer teams: AS Roma, and Everton Football Club of the English Premier League. Middleman, CEO of the Boca Raton-based Freedom Mortgage Corporation and a native of Philadelphia, bought a 16.25% stake in the Phillies in 2023.

Chisolm, meanwhile, would be making his first foray into the sports business. His Symphony Technology Group has a deep portfolio of companies in the tech and software sectors.

Sportico says it's unclear whether the Grousbeck family still plans to sell about half the team in one phase, and the other half in a later phase, which Wyc Grousbeck said last year would happen.

Pagliuca remains the candidate with the closest ties to the Grousbecks and the Boston area, so it's fair to consider him the favorite to buy the Celtics at this point. But we now have a better idea of who he's up against in the bidding.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.