Braves Report Revenue Increases Of $17M; Up 8% From '11

Braves Owner Liberty Media recently filed a new financial report, which showed that the team's "revenue increased" by $17M last year, an 8% jump, according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The report showed that the Braves had revenue of $225M and "adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization" of $22M. Liberty reported that for '11, the Braves "had revenue" of $208M and adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization of a negative $6M. Part of the "reason for the big change in income stemmed from financial reporting associated with" the October '11 trade of P Derek Lowe to the Indians. Even after "taking that shift into consideration, the Braves’ adjusted operating income improved by another" $18M for '12 as the revenue increase "flowed to the bottom line." The increase in revenue was "much larger" than the $5M, or 2.5% jump from '10 to '11. The Braves are "one of the few U.S. sports franchises owned by a publicly traded company and thus one of the few that discloses its financial results" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/5).

TIME FOR A SING-A-LONG: In Atlanta, Melissa Ruggieri noted the team is "bringing back old-school hip-hop as well as classic rock and country for the Braves Summer Concert Series." Rap group Run DMC will perform after the June 1 game against the Nationals. The series also includes performances by the Steve Miller Band (July 13) and Big & Rich with Cowboy Troy on Sept. 1. Country singer Rodney Atkins "will croon the national anthem and perform before" Opening Day against the Phillies on April 1 (AJC.com, 3/5).