OneTeam Partners & the NIL Monopoly: How Private Equity Controls Player Rights

By Randy Gipe | September 15, 2025

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1. Executive Summary

OneTeam Partners has emerged as a $1.9B hub for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights, linking players across NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS, WNBA, USWNT, and esports. With ownership split between NFLPA (44%), MLBPA (22%), and HPS/Atlantic Park (40%), the company is deeply entwined with private equity interests including Carlyle and Blackstone. Public reports and X posts suggest potential for player exploitation, financial opacity, and regulatory vulnerabilities, including FBI scrutiny and antitrust exposure.

2. Introduction: A Corporate Takeover of Player Rights

The rise of NIL deals has transformed sports into a corporate battleground. OneTeam consolidates rights that were once decentralized, giving private equity firms unprecedented influence over player earnings, contracts, and career mobility. This centralization positions OneTeam as a critical lever in PE’s broader sports machine.

3. Ownership & Financial Structure

Ownership breakdown:

• NFLPA: 44%
• MLBPA: 22%
• HPS/Atlantic Park: 40%

Revenue flows include $101M in 2024–2025 and $422.8M paid to unions/players. PE consultancies and lobbying connections suggest additional influence channels, raising questions about conflicts of interest and labor alignment.

4. FBI Probe & Legal Risks

In 2025, the FBI’s Eastern District of New York opened a probe into SEIP for enriching union leadership and influencing player deals. Potential legal exposures include:

• Antitrust scrutiny over NIL consolidation
• LMRDA violations related to fund transparency
• Implications for players and unions if financial flows were mismanaged

5. Player Implications & Labor Dynamics

Players like Patrick Mahomes have pushed back, demanding greater autonomy. Conflicts with union leadership, including Tony Clark (MLBPA), highlight how PE influence can override player interests. The consolidation of NIL rights through OneTeam limits negotiation leverage and transparency for athletes.

6. NIL, Betting & Crypto Integration

OneTeam’s operations intersect with sports betting ($17.94B market in 2024) and Web3/fan tokens, providing potential conduits for financial flows. AI tracking and analytics platforms may monetize player and fan data, raising questions about privacy, exploitation, and laundering vulnerabilities.

7. Regulatory Gaps & Oversight

Current oversight is fragmented:

• State vs. federal regulations for NIL and betting
• FinCEN AML rules are still evolving
• GDPR/CCPA provide partial data protection

Private equity and sovereign wealth ties enable strategic exploitation of these regulatory gaps.

8. Global Expansion & Esports Connections

OneTeam’s model extends internationally, linking to esports leagues and global football partnerships. PIF-backed investments and Carlyle partnerships replicate the NFL model across markets, centralizing control over player rights and revenue streams.

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Appendices / Visual References:

• Timeline of OneTeam deals (2019–2025)
• Bubble chart of financial flows & PE connections
• Glossary: NIL, SEIP, AML, LMRDA, fan tokens

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