National Basketball Association

**Dob Hooligan** · 07-16-2024, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Urbanized

As valuations go up the approach to ownership takes on a much more corporate veneer. Owning a team used to be more of a hobby for many, and it was very common to lose money on the deal. Family and multi-generational ownership made more sense. Now valuations have taken these team valuations into the realm of Fortune 500 company market caps. As recently as the eighties you could buy a major league team for a few million bucks.

I think you will see more and more flips, but you will also see much more in the way of succession planning, investor GROUPS rather than single owners, etc.

So true. The value increases are providing different challenges to each league. The NFL does not allow corporate ownership. They demand one person has something like 30-35% team ownership and full ability to make decisions on league business. I also think minority investors must stand for league investigation and approval. Money invested must be proven to be liquid and individually controlled at whatever level the NFL decides. Leaves the NFL looking like only the Walton, Bezos and other ultra-wealthy American families can buy in.

The NBA rules are different, but they do want a strong representative to the Board of Governors. And transparency in capital acquisition. Not sure how the NBA compares to the NFL in regards to corporate ownership.

MLB has had corporate owners as long as I can recall. I think CBS owned the Yankees throughout the 1960s into the early 70s, when they sold to George Steinbrenner. Disney/ABC/ESPN owned the Angles in the 1990s-2000s. Fox owned the dodgers about the same time.

Seems like the NHL just wants to know if you can cover payroll this week. /s