For five decades, Ted Leonsis has been building: companies, teams, technologies, media platforms, and institutions that shape communities. As the founder, chairman, managing partner, and CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), Ted Leonsis owns and operates one of the most prominent and innovative global sports and entertainment brands. Mr. Leonsis is the controlling owner of the NHL’s 2018 Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the 2019 WNBA Champion Washington Mystics, the NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming, and the NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go.
In addition to the teams, Mr. Leonsis operates five premier venues in the region, including Capital One Arena – the 20,000-seat sports and entertainment venue located in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. The building hosts over 220 live events annually and has welcomed in over 50 million fans since its opening in 1997. As the leading visionary on the arena’s multi-year, transformative renovation project, Mr. Leonsis is building the world’s preeminent entertainment district that will serve millions of annual visitors for the next 25 years and set a new standard for technological innovation and the fan, athlete and employee experience. This vision includes an expansion into Gallery Place, increasing the overall footprint from 900,000 to 1.6 million square feet, dramatically enhancing the scale and impact of the entertainment district.
A prominent thought leader in the media industry, Mr. Leonsis owns Monumental Sports Network, a regional media platform distributed on linear television, digital, mobile, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Monumental Sports Network is the exclusive local broadcast and streaming network for the Washington Capitals, Wizards and Mystics; and operates the state-of-the-art Monumental Sports Network studios located within the Capital One Arena entertainment complex.
He serves on the Boards of Governors for the NBA, NHL and WNBA, and was unanimously elected Chairman of the NHL Board of Governors in 2026. In these capacities, he serves on the NBA and NHL leadership committees; the NHL Audit and Finance Committee; the NBA Advisory/Finance Committee; and as Chairman of both the NBA Media Committee and NHL Media and Content Committee.
Under Mr. Leonsis’ leadership, MSE has built a legacy defined by growth, wins, and innovation – evolving into one of the most valuable and forward-thinking sports and entertainment companies in the industry. The company, valued at more than $9 billion by CNBC, has won six championships across its portfolio (NHL, WNBA, 2x NBA 2K, 2x AHL) and continues to pioneer new business models, technologies, and fan experiences. From launching Monumental Sports Network as of one of the first team-owned regional sports media platforms, to opening the first-ever in-arena sportsbook in the U.S., to introducing groundbreaking fan engagement concepts such as Visibowl, a first-of-its-kind immersive experience coming to the concourses of the transformed Capital One Arena – Mr. Leonsis has steered MSE to repeatedly set industry standards while driving sustained growth.
Mr. Leonsis is co-owner and co-chairman of aXiomatic Gaming, an entrepreneurial brain trust of sports, technology, entertainment and investment industry titans with a controlling interest in global esports franchise, Team Liquid, the winningest organization in esports with over 75 trophies.
A longtime venture capitalist, Mr. Leonsis is cofounder and partner at Revolution Growth, a $1 billion set of investment funds, where he and his partners make a select group of speed-up capital investments in businesses each year, typically investing $25-50 million per deal and becoming true, hands-on partners to entrepreneurs as they navigate policies and regulations.
Mr. Leonsis leads with a double bottom line philosophy, deeply committed to philanthropy and community engagement. In 2025, Monumental was named a Top Corporate Philanthropist by Washington Business Journal, with over $4.5 million donated to local nonprofits through the impactful work of MSE, the MSE Foundation, and the Leonsis Family.
As a steadfast champion for increasing access to education for all, Mr. Leonsis serves as the Chairman of the District of Columbia College Access Program (DC-CAP), a nonprofit scholarship provider for D.C. students to pursue post-secondary opportunities. The Leonsis Family also supports young student entrepreneurs at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business through their annual “Bark Tank” pitch competition, Leonsis Venture Lab and support for the Georgetown Entrepreneurship program.
Mr. Leonsis also serves on the boards of several public companies, including American Express, Tempus AI and Groupon; and is the former vice chairman and president of AOL.
Mr. Leonsis is a lifelong supporter of the arts, recognized as an accomplished author and award-winning filmmaker who has won Peabody and Emmy awards. In fall of 2024, Leonsis opened “Harry Benson: Washington DC,” a free, landmark photo exhibit located next door to Capital One Arena that showcased over 150 photographs by legendary photojournalist Harry Benson.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans, Ted Leonsis has built a career defined by visionary leadership, entrepreneurial success, and a commitment to using business as a force for positive impact.