Global Football Holdings

David Blitzer
Born	(1969-09-07) September 7, 1969 Scotch Plains, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Investor, sports team owner, managing partner
Years active	1991–present
Known for	Chairman of Tactical Opportunities at Blackstone; managing partner of New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers; ownership stakes in multiple sports franchises across NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, MLS

David Scott Blitzer (born September 7, 1969) is a prominent American investor and owner of multiple sports team franchises. He serves as chairman of the tactical opportunities division at the private equity firm Blackstone and acts as managing partner for both the New Jersey Devils (NHL) and Philadelphia 76ers (NBA). Through Global Football Holdings, Blitzer holds ownership stakes in several association football clubs, while also maintaining minority shares in the Cleveland Guardians (MLB) and Washington Commanders (NFL). Notably, he is the first individual to possess equity interests across all five major professional sports leagues in the United States.

Blitzer is an alumnus of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1991, he joined Blackstone, spending a decade in London from 2001 to 2011 managing European investments. He led Blackstone’s global Tactical Opportunities group starting in 2012 and was elevated to chairman in 2024. Blitzer frequently collaborates with Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris, with whom he ventured into sports ownership in 2011 and co-established Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in 2017. As of 2025, his net worth is estimated at $3.6 billion.

Early life and Blackstone

Hailing from Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Blitzer graduated magna cum laude from the Wharton School in 1991. He immediately embarked on his career at Blackstone, where he was stationed in London between 2001 and 2011 to oversee European investment operations. During his tenure, he was a member of Blackstone’s management committee and headed the Tactical Opportunities division from 2012 until his transition to chairman in November 2024.

Sports ownership

Blitzer’s interest in sports investments began after meeting Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris in 2008. By 2011, they had formed an investment consortium that acquired the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) for $280 million. The initial group included partners such as Art Wrubel, Jason Levien, Adam Aron, Michael Rubin, Will Smith, among others. In August 2013, Blitzer and Harris expanded their portfolio by purchasing the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL) along with the Prudential Center arena for $320 million. Between 2014 and 2021, Blitzer and investor David Abrams held a 50% stake in the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, before divesting to Diamond Baseball Holdings.

In 2017, Blitzer partnered with Harris to establish Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE). HBSE’s holdings include ownership of the 76ers, Devils, NBA G League’s Delaware Blue Coats, AHL’s Utica Comets, esports team Dignitas, as well as HBSE Real Estate, venture capital firm HBSE Ventures, and marketing agency Elevate Sports Ventures. In January 2022, Blitzer joined forces with Qualtrics co-founder Ryan Smith to acquire Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, including America First Field and associated teams. They also reinstated the Utah Royals franchise in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Although Blitzer sold these assets to Gail Miller in April 2025, he continues as a minority stakeholder.

In June 2022, Blitzer acquired a 25% ownership share in MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, with an option to assume majority control by 2028. This acquisition made him the first individual to hold equity stakes across all five major North American sports leagues: NBA, NHL, NFL, MLS, and MLB.

Blitzer took an 18% ownership position in English football club Crystal Palace F.C. in 2015 and subsequently founded Global Football Holdings. This entity invests in various European clubs including Estoril Praia (Portugal), Alcorcón (Spain), Beveren (Belgium), FC Augsburg (Germany), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), and Brøndby IF (Denmark). In 2020, Blitzer and Harris acquired a $140 million minority interest in the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers. They later spearheaded a consortium that purchased the NFL's Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion in 2023.

That same year, Blitzer invested in reviving SlamBall—a hybrid basketball league—and obtained a minority stake in NASCAR's Joe Gibbs Racing through HBSE. In October 2023, he joined the NHL's Executive Committee where he contributes to ownership vetting processes, collective bargaining negotiations, and league expansion efforts. Additionally, Blitzer co-owns Jupiter Links Golf Club of the virtual golf league TGL alongside golfer Tiger Woods.

In 2024, Blitzer divested his Steelers stake to Art Rooney II and Thomas Tull. He became involved with College Sports Tomorrow—a coalition advocating significant reforms to college football governance and NIL policies—and co-founded youth sports enterprise Unrivaled Sports with backing from The Chernin Group. His investments also extend to Major League Table Tennis, women’s indoor volleyball league LOVB Pro launched in 2024, and Shaun White's Snow League initiated in 2025.

In June 2025, HBSE secured rights for a Philadelphia WNBA expansion franchise slated to commence play by 2030. Concurrently that month, Blitzer became co-owner of LOVB Austin alongside Peter Holt and Amy Griffin.

Properties

Overseen by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

Team	League	Year Acquired	Details
Philadelphia 76ers	National Basketball Association (NBA)	2011	Serves as co-managing partner alongside Josh Harris. Ownership extends to the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League.
New Jersey Devils	National Hockey League (NHL)	2013	Functions as managing partner with Harris. Includes control of the Prudential Center and the Utica Comets from the American Hockey League.
Joe Gibbs Racing	NASCAR	2023	Holds a limited partnership stake with Harris.
Philadelphia WNBA team	Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)	2025	Acts as managing partner jointly with Harris.

Managed through Global Football Holdings

Team	League	Year Acquired	Details
Estoril Praia	Primeira Liga	2019	Full ownership.
Alcorcón	Segunda División		Sole owner.
Beveren	Challenger Pro League	2020	Holds co-ownership with Jahm Najafi and Jeff Moorad.
FC Augsburg	Bundesliga	2021	Co-ownership with Klaus Hofmann, possessing a 45% share.
ADO Den Haag	Eerste Divisie		Owner.
Brøndby	Danish Superliga	2022	Majority owner with a 50.1% stake.

Additional investments

Team	League	Year Acquired	Details
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders	International League	2014	Held a 50% interest alongside David Abrams; divested to Diamond Baseball Holdings in 2021.
Crystal Palace	Premier League	2015	General partnership with Steve Parish, John Textor, and Josh Harris; controls an 18% stake.
Cleveland Guardians	Major League Baseball (MLB)	2022	Limited partner owning 25%, with an option to acquire majority control by 2028.
Washington Commanders	National Football League (NFL)	2023	Holds a limited partnership under Josh Harris.
Jupiter Links Golf Club	TGL		Co-ownership with Tiger Woods.
Real Salt Lake	Major League Soccer (MLS)	2025	Limited partner; shared ownership with Ryan Smith until transfer to Gail Miller in 2025.
Utah Royals	National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)		Limited partner; co-owned alongside Ryan Smith until sale in 2025.
LOVB Austin	LOVB Pro		Co-owner together with Peter Holt and Amy Griffin.

Blitzer practices Judaism. He is wed to Allison (née Ross) Blitzer, and together they have five children. By June 2025, his net worth was projected to be $3.6 billion. His father-in-law, Stuart Ross—who previously held the North American rights to The Smurfs franchise—was found guilty of extortion in 2010 after attempting to demand $11 million from Blitzer and was sentenced to five years of probation. Additionally, Blitzer contributes to Hillel International, aiding initiatives that support Jewish students pursuing higher education.