Latest news with #KurtBadenhausen
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WNBA Team Makes Historical Announcement Amid Relocation Rumors
The 2025 WNBA season is fast approaching, and while excitement is building among fans of most teams, one fan base suffered a gut punch on Monday. Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams reported that the Connecticut Sun's owners have "hired investment bank Allen & Company to explore the sale of the franchise, according to multiple people familiar with the details." Advertisement The report didn't stop there. Badenhausen and Novy-Williams also shared that "The Sun could raise capital through an LP stake sale, but the expectation is a control sale and likely franchise relocation." There is no timetable for a deal to be finalized, but if the new owners choose to relocate the franchise, potential destination cities could include Boston, Kansas City, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Houston, and Austin. On Wednesday, just two days after the report made waves on social media, the Sun made a historical announcement regarding its season ticket memberships this season. "For the first time in franchise history, the Connecticut Sun have officially sold out of Season Ticket Memberships for the 2025 WNBA season, the organization announced today," the press release read. Sun president Jen Rizzotti called the sellout a "significant achievement." Advertisement "Reaching a season ticket sellout for the first time in franchise history is a significant achievement for our organization," Rizzotti said. 'This milestone reflects the remarkable dedication of our loyal Sun fans, whose continued commitment and enthusiasm for over 20 years make them the best in the WNBA." Connecticut Sun guard Marina Mabrey (4) and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).Mark Smith It's unclear whether the relocation rumors made a big impact on the sellout of season ticket memberships, but it wouldn't be surprising if fans made the extra effort to experience the final days of basketball in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun will open the regular season on Sunday against the Washington Mystics, marking the start of the Rachid Meziane era following the departure of now-Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET. Advertisement Related: Released WNBA Player Struggles to Utter a Word in Emotional Statement Related: NBA Legend Isiah Thomas Makes Strong Caitlin Clark Statement
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Projected $80 Million WNBA Franchise in Danger of Relocating Amid Rumors
On Monday, Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen and Eben Novy-Williams reported that the Connecticut Sun could relocate soon. According to their report, the Mohegan Sun (the team's ownership group) has hired an investment bank to search for a new buyer. The Mohegan Sun has owned the franchise since 2003, when it was known as the Orlando Miracle. According to the team's president, Jennifer Rizzotti, the franchise is exploring plenty of options. On Tuesday, Rizzotti mentioned that one of the options for the organization's future is a potential sale. Advertisement Rizzotti disclosed that the Sun could look to sell to an outsider or choose from the many interested parties for a WNBA expansion team. The Connecticut Sun bench celebrates in the fourth quarter against the New York Liberty at Barclays Cruz-Imagn Images 'They do everything first class. They pride themselves on guest experience and attention to detail and true investment in the right ways. If the tribe decides they want to own this team, they're as competitive, I think, as any ownership group in the league,' Rizzotti said. When the tribe bought the team in 2003, it was worth $10 million. Through the years, it has grown and has been valued at $80 million last season, according to Sportico. Their success over the past 22 seasons has helped them increase their value. During that time, the team has made 16 playoff appearances, six of which have taken them to the semifinals. Advertisement During the offseason, however, the franchise had a transformation with the entire starting lineup's departure. The management lost some of their best players either through free agency or trades. However, the Sun isn't discouraged with the change and is focused on the new era of Connecticut basketball for the 2025 season. The team's president said that the ownership has not yet decided on the Sun's future. Related: Connecticut Sun Star Facing Intense Backlash After Slamming Fever Fans
Fox Sports
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fox Sports
LAFC, Inter Miami among 5 MLS teams worth $1B in soccer's global Top 50
On the field, Major League Soccer teams are still some distance away from standing toe-to-toe with their counterparts in the English Premier League and other elite European circuits. Off of it, MLS franchise values are already world-class. Sports business industry news outlet Sportico on Wednesday published its latest annual ranking of the Top 50 most valuable clubs in global soccer. MLS has 19 representatives on the list. Meantime, the Premier League accounts for just 14 spots. What gives? First, European teams dominate the top third of the ranking. Real Madrid leapfrogged Manchester United into the top spot in 2025 by becoming the first soccer club to generate more than $1 billion in revenue. Sportico values the Spanish titan at $6.53B, ahead of Man United's $6.09B. Barcelona (5.71B) is third. The first 15 places are occupied by clubs from Spain, England, France, Italy and Germany. Things get interesting after that. LAFC is 16th, with a valuation of $1.28B. Fellow MLS teams round out the rest of the top 20. All are worth a cool 10 figures: Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami sits No. 17 at $1.3B, followed by the LA Galaxy ($1.11B), Atlanta United ($1.08B), and New York City FC ($1B). NYCFC, appearing on the list for the first time since the ranking began in 2023, brought in just $79 million last year. The team right behind them at No. 21, Premier League side West Ham United, earned more than four times as much money last year. But the Hammers' expenses are far higher. "MLS can't match the revenue of top European clubs, but it has the advantage on cost controls, modern stadiums and a single-entity structure that fosters ownership collaboration," Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen wrote. "The lack of relegation also sets a floor for MLS values that has risen dramatically over the past decade." Relegation — demotion to a lower division because of poor performance on the pitch — is a huge financial threat to mid-major European clubs, who rely on top-flight leagues' colossal media rights deals to pay elite players' ever-rising salaries. Drop down a level, and most of that income evaporates, creating a potentially ruinous financial crisis. The risk is significant. Premier League sides Newcastle United and Aston Villa, the 22nd and 24th most valuable clubs in the world on this year's list, have both been relegated to England's second tier within the last decade. MLS franchises also benefit from a salary cap that, with a few exceptions, applies to all but up to three high-earning, cap-exempt "Designated Players" per team, helping keep costs down compared to their rivals overseas. Most of the rest of planet futbol has few restrictions outside of FIFA's financial fair play rules, which attempt to force teams not to spend more money than they generate. Those have proven mostly toothless, though; Sportico notes that Man United has operated in the red for six straight years, and that five of the top 15 teams on this year's list had an operating loss of more than $60 million over the past two seasons. "The absence of effective cost controls on player salaries significantly undermines the financial sustainability of these clubs," Alexander Jarvis, whose consulting firm specializes in soccer club acquisitions, told the outlet. Despite the immense global popularity of some of their brands, "it's rare to see a profitable club at the top level in either Spain or England," he said. That's one reason why soccer teams' valuations lag far behind those in American sports leagues, particularly the NFL and NBA. "The lousy economic model [in Europe] explains why Real Madrid and Manchester United are the only soccer teams ranked in the top 20 of the world's most valuable sports franchises, which skews heavily toward the NFL with its strict salary cap and $400-million-a-year TV checks," Badenhausen wrote. "The top 100 franchises feature all 32 NFL teams and all 30 NBA teams, but just 10 soccer clubs." The full ranking is below, with MLS teams bolded. Sportico's methodology can be found here. Real Madrid (Spain) $6.53B Manchester United (England) $6.09B Barcelona (Spain) $5.71B Liverpool (England) $5.59B Bayern Munich (Germany) $5.21B Manchester City (England) $5.16B Arsenal (England) $4.49B Paris Saint-Germain (France) $4.26B Tottenham (England) $3.68B Chelsea (England) $3.57B Atlético Madrid (Spain) $1.85B Borussia Dortmund (Germany) $1.83B Juventus (Italy) $1.81B AC Milan (Italy) $1.34B Inter Milan (Italy) $1.3B Los Angeles FC (MLS) $1.28B Inter Miami (MLS) $1.19B LA Galaxy (MLS) $1.11B Atlanta United (MLS) $1.08B New York City FC (MLS) $1B West Ham United (England) $940M Newcastle United (England) $930M Austin FC (MLS) $865M Aston Villa (England) $850M Seattle Sounders (MLS) $825M Everton (England) $825M Napoli (Italy) $775M Club América (Mexico) $770M Lyon (France) $750M AS Roma (Italy) $750M Brighton (England) $745M Guadalajara (Mexico) $730M Columbus Crew (MLS) $730M Toronto FC (MLS) $725M FC Cincinnati (MLS) $725M D.C. United (MLS) $720M Portland Timbers (MLS) $720M Ajax (Netherlands) $710M Charlotte FC (MLS) $705M Philadelphia Union (MLS) $700M Benfica (Portugal) $675M St. Louis City (MLS) $655M Minnesota United (MLS) $655M Sporting Kansas City (MLS) $650M New York Red Bulls (MLS) $645M Nashville SC (MLS) $640M Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) $640M Bournemouth (England) $630M Brentford (England) $615M Crystal Palace (England) $610M Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . Get more from MLS Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
28-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Where do the Rams rank among the most valuable teams in the world?
Where do the Rams rank among the most valuable teams in the world? The Los Angeles Rams are one of the oldest teams in the NFL. They're also — now — one of the most valuable sports franchises both in the NFL and the entire world. Sportico's sports valuations reporter Kurt Badenhausen recently released his top-100 most valuable sports franchise list. And while the Rams aren't at the top, the team is pretty close. The Rams rank sixth on the list with a $7.79 billion evaluation. This is a 12% increase from a year ago, per Sportico. The Rams rank second among all NFL teams behind only the Dallas Cowboys, who rank No. 1 among all franchises with a net worth of $10.32 billion. 'The NFL dominates the top of the financial table thanks to its unprecedented combo of guaranteed revenue and cost certainty," Badenhausen wrote. The Rams are also the third-most valuable California-based franchise, behind the Golden State Warriors at $9.14 billion and the Los Angeles Lakers at $8.07 billion. Including the Rams, teams owned by Stan Kroenke make the list three times. The NBA's Denver Nuggets finished No. 60 with a $4.06 billion evaluation, while Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League ranked No. 65 with a $3.91 billion. The Rams have benefited from a lot of recent success under the leadership of general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay. It helps, too, that they made and won the Super Bowl in 2021 and have made the postseason in four of the past five seasons.
