Since Sports Business Journal launched in April 1998, Major League Baseball, the NBA, NFL and NHL collectively have seen 105 changes in the majority ownership of a member team, totaling more than $45 billion.
In the handful of instances where an ownership change occurred in phases, the total price is listed in the final year of the sale. In nearly every case, the sale included operating rights to the club’s venue. Such assets are not listed here. Team and venue names appear as they did at the time of the transaction.
Excluded are changes in ownership that occurred as a result of inheritance and/or intrafamily transactions, as well as fees paid for rights to expansion teams. The sales figures of Canadian teams were converted as of Dec. 31 of the year of the sale, per the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Finally, Joseph Tsai purchased 49 percent of the Brooklyn Nets from Mikhail Prokhorov in April and has an option to assume majority control by the end of 2021. The total deal values the team at $2.2 billion but is excluded from the list because it did not yet include a change in majority ownership.
