Travis Kelce is stepping beyond the NFL, telling ESPN he will purchase a minority ownership stake in his hometown Cleveland Guardians. The move adds to his growing portfolio of business investments and joins a wider trend of major athletes taking equity positi
By the time the spotlight moved from football to baseball, Travis Kelce had already made one thing clear: his roots still run through Cleveland.
Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, says he is buying a minority ownership stake in the Cleveland Guardians. He made the announcement to ESPN, framing the decision as more than a financial play—something tied to the city that raised him and shaped his early sports life.
“I have so much love for this city,” Kelce said. “I say it all the time: I’m just a kid from the Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic.”
The equity purchase puts him in a group of active athletes who have been steadily pushing into professional sports ownership. Kelce becomes yet another player using business to extend influence beyond the field, this time through Major League Baseball.
He already has a portfolio that stretches well beyond sports. Kelce owns stakes in an amusement park company, a mattress company, a beer company, and a restaurant. Along with his brother Jason, he also has a lucrative weekly podcast. The broader business reach includes an investment in the Alpine Formula 1 team. where he is joined by Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes.
At 36, Kelce is also part of a recent wave in MLB ownership. Mahomes became a minority owner with the Kansas City Royals in 2020. In recent years. NBA stars including LeBron James. Giannis Antetokounmpo. and Cade Cunningham have also joined MLB ownership groups. with LeBron associated with the Boston Red Sox. Giannis with the Milwaukee Brewers. and Cade with the Texas Rangers.
Kelce’s link to baseball is personal, not just symbolic. Before attending the University of Cincinnati on a football scholarship, he was a star baseball player in the Cleveland area. In his senior season at Cleveland Heights High School in 2008, he hit .588 with six home runs.
“There was nothing like Cleveland baseball in the ’90s,” Kelce said. “That’s just a core memory for me. Kenny Lofton. Carlos Baerga. Jim Thome. Sandy Alomar Jr. the list goes on. and I admire how they just continue to pour into this city and this game. It’s something that resonates with me, giving back to the places and the people that gave so much to you.”.
Taken together. the sequence of Kelce’s moves—from on-field stardom to a widening set of equity stakes—fits a pattern increasingly common among elite athletes: they are not just endorsing brands. they are buying into industries and teams. His shift into the Guardians adds a new layer to that trend, while keeping the emotional through-line anchored in Cleveland.
Travis Kelce Cleveland Guardians MLB ownership minority stake Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes LeBron James Giannis Antetokounmpo Cade Cunningham business investments Alpine Formula 1 podcast