Early Franchise Ownership and the Dan Reeves Era
The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 by Homer Marshman in Cleveland, Ohio, as a member of the second American Football League. The team was named after the Fordham Rams and was sold to Homer Marshman and Dan Reeves in 1937. Reeves later became the sole owner and moved the team to Los Angeles in 1946, establishing a legacy that would span decades. This foundational period set the stage for the franchise's first major ownership transition decades later. Forbes
The Reeves ownership era ended in 1972 when the team was sold to a group led by Robert Irsay. Irsay then controversially moved the franchise to Baltimore in 1995, leaving Los Angeles without an NFL team. The Cleveland Browns name, colors, and history were reactivated, while the Rams identity was effectively relocated. This move directly led to the franchise's long hiatus from the Los Angeles market before its eventual return.
The Georgia Frontiere and Stan Kroenke Transition
Georgia Frontiere inherited controlling interest in the team in 1979 and became the first female owner of an NFL franchise to control a Super Bowl champion when the Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. She controlled the team until her death in 2008, after which ownership passed to her son, Chip Rosenbloom, and controlling partner Stan Kroenke. Kroenke, a billionaire real estate and sports mogul, had already acquired a significant stake in the franchise years earlier.
Stan Kroenke formally took full control of the Rams by exercising a purchase option to buy the remaining shares from the Rosenbloom family in 2010. Kroenke's acquisition made him the sole owner of a team that was still playing in St. Louis at the time. His ownership group, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, immediately began planning for a long-term stadium solution, which ultimately led to the franchise's return to Los Angeles in 2016.
Current Ownership Structure and the SoFi Stadium Era
Today, the Rams are wholly owned by Stan Kroenke through his holding company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The franchise is now based in Inglewood, California, and plays its home games at the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium, a venue co-owned by Kroenke and the NFL. The stadium, which opened in 2020, was built at a cost of approximately $5.5 billion and hosts major events including the Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The Rams' current valuation stands at approximately $7.1 billion, making them one of the most valuable franchises in the NFL according to the latest Forbes NFL valuations. Kroenke also owns the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Arsenal F.C., creating a vast global sports portfolio. The franchise's on-field performance under head coach Sean McVay has remained competitive, with the team consistently contending for playoff berths in the NFC West division.