Farm System: Minor League Ownership Discussed On CNBC

Mandalay’s Nuchow Discusses Minor Leagues On CNBC

Sunday’s edition of CNBC’s “High Net Worth” featured Mandalay Baseball President of Business Operations Howard Nuchow, whose company has a stake in five minor league teams, and Independent League New Jersey Jackals Owner Floyd Hall discussing the advantages of owning minor league baseball franchises. Hall said, “It can be a very good business and most baseball teams probably don’t make money, ... but if you’re going to make money and give your investors -– if you have them — a decent return, you’re going to have to run it very well.” Nuchow: “To be successful in this business you have to become a part of the soul of the community, and the only way to become a part of the soul of the community is by entertaining families. Our whole philosophy is we market to families.” When asked whether owning minor league teams can “be real estate plays,” Hall replied, “In many cases, they have been. The property becomes valuable over the years as the area fills in (around the stadium). ... But most of the time you’re not really looking for it to be a real estate investment. You’re looking at it more for the operating earnings of the company and the increase in the franchise value” (CNBC, 10/30).