Harbinger Sports Partners, Which Includes Mark Cuban, Buys Minority Stake In John Fisher’s Athletics
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — A’s owner John Fisher now has a big name for a minority partner of the MLB Athletics.
Atlanta-based Harbinger Sports Partners, which includes Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban as its general partner and president, has announced it has a minority stake in the A’s. The historic Athletics are a badly-slumping team with high hopes for 2028 when the franchise is scheduled to open a $2 billion domed stadium on the Strip. The A’s are free falling with a 43-59 record after competing for a playoff spot during the first 75-80 games. The team has won only 20 of 50 home games in West Sacramento.
Fisher has talked about wanting to sell a stake in the A’s as a move to help pay for the team’s share of the construction of the 33,000-fan stadium that s being built on the former site of the Tropicana hotel-casino at the southeast corner of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard.
The ballpark has 30,000 fixed seats and room for 3,000 standing fans. The public is contributing $380 million in stadium-funding assistance to help the A’s pay for the ballpark’s construction.
Cuban is a massive name, a former owner and current minority owner of the Mavericks.
Fellow Shark Tank TV show performer Rashaun Williams, who has a minority stake in the NFL Falcons, is Harbinger’s founder and chief investment officer, according to the firm’s website. The site of the private equity firm that pursues stakes in pro teams has this as its team:
Steve Cannon is listed as Harbinger’s co-founder, while former MLB executive Jonathan Mariner is chief financial officer. Before working more than a decade with Major League Baseball, Mariner was an executive with the MLB Marlins.
PSA
