Bill Foley’s Pitch to Own Las Vegas’ Next NBA Franchise 7/16/26

Bill Foley joins Alex Sherman to explain why his ownership group is positioned to bring an NBA expansion team to Las Vegas, followed by an interview with Rick Horrow on the excitement and business impact of the World Cup. Bill Foley, owner of the Vegas Golden Knights, joins Alex Sherman for a detailed conversation about his bid to own a potential Las Vegas NBA expansion franchise. Foley lays out why he believes Las Vegas is ready for an NBA team, how the Golden Knights’ success has prepared his organization, and what kind of ownership culture he would bring to professional basketball. The episode also features an interview with Rick Horrow, who discusses the excitement around the World Cup and its impact on the global sports business landscape. Together, the conversations explore how major sports franchises, international soccer, media rights, fan engagement, and live events continue to shape the future of sports ownership and investment.   **Topics discussed:**   - Why Bill Foley believes Las Vegas is ready for an NBA expansion team - How the Golden Knights’ “Vegas Born” identity shaped Foley’s ownership approach - The potential NBA expansion fee and long-term franchise valuation - T-Mobile Arena as the likely initial home for a Las Vegas NBA team - Building a world-class practice facility for NBA and NHL operations - How Foley’s “team first” philosophy could translate from hockey to basketball - Sports betting concerns and professional sports in Las Vegas - Foley’s international soccer portfolio, including AFC Bournemouth and Auckland FC - The excitement surrounding the World Cup - Rick Horrow’s perspective on the business of global sports events - Sponsorship, ticketing, media rights, and synergies across sports ownership groups - Local broadcast strategy and opportunities to bundle sports media assets - Possible naming themes for a Las Vegas NBA franchise - Whether Las Vegas can support more professional sports teams   Timestamps: 01:30 Bill Foley’s pitch for owning a Las Vegas NBA franchise 03:18 Why Foley has been preparing for NBA expansion for years 04:20 Lessons from owning the Vegas Golden Knights 05:11 How expansion fees factor into the NBA ownership decision 06:08 Why Foley believes his group can compete financially 07:03 Long-term NBA franchise value and sports scarcity 08:10 Sports betting concerns in Las Vegas 08:50 Foley’s international soccer investments and World Cup impact 10:09 Synergies across Foley’s sports ownership portfolio 11:17 What kind of owner Foley says he would be 12:03 NBA expansion timeline and presentation process 12:58 Local media strategy for a Las Vegas NBA team 13:43 Potential naming ideas for the franchise 14:35 Why Foley is not worried about Las Vegas sports oversaturation 15:41 Advice from current NBA owners 16:16 Closing thoughts on the possible Las Vegas NBA franchise Mentioned in this episode: - Bill Foley - Alex Sherman - Rick Horrow - Vegas Golden Knights - Las Vegas NBA expansion - NBA Board of Governors - Adam Silver - T-Mobile Arena - AFC Bournemouth - Auckland FC - Silver Knights - Nighthawks - CNBC - Scripps Sports - World Cup - Otter.ai Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.