What is Major League Baseball (MLB)?
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the professional baseball organization that is the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. It is considered to be the highest level of professional baseball in the world. MLB consists of 30 teams that are divided evenly between the American League (AL) and the National League (NL).
What is a Float?
A float is a type of security that is created when a company issues a new stock offering. The float is the total number of shares of the company’s stock that are available for public trading on the open market. The float is the number of shares that are actually traded, as opposed to the total number of shares that are issued.
Do Major League Baseball Teams Float?
No, major league baseball teams do not float. Major league teams are not publicly traded companies and therefore, do not have stock offerings or floats.
How Are MLB Teams Owned?
MLB teams are owned by a variety of individuals and entities. The majority of MLB teams are owned by individuals or families, but there are a few teams that are owned by corporations.
Individuals and Families
The majority of MLB teams are owned by individuals or families. Some of the most prominent individuals and families that own MLB teams include:
- John Henry: Owner of the Boston Red Sox
- Larry Ellison: Owner of the Los Angeles Angels
- Micky Arison: Owner of the Miami Marlins
- The Steinbrenner Family: Owners of the New York Yankees
- The Ricketts Family: Owners of the Chicago Cubs
Corporations
There are a few MLB teams that are owned by corporations. These corporations include:
- Liberty Media: Owner of the Atlanta Braves
- Guggenheim Baseball Management: Owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Ltd.: Owner of the Tampa Bay Rays
Why Don’t MLB Teams Float?
MLB teams do not float because they are not publicly traded companies. The owners of MLB teams are not interested in making their teams public because they would lose control over the operations of the team. Additionally, the owners would have to disclose financial information that may not be in the team’s best interest to disclose.
How Do MLB Teams Generate Revenue?
MLB teams generate revenue in a variety of ways. The most common sources of revenue for MLB teams are:
- Ticket Sales: MLB teams generate revenue from ticket sales to their games.
- Television Rights: MLB teams generate revenue from the sale of television rights to their games.
- Sponsorships: MLB teams generate revenue from the sale of sponsorships to their games.
- Merchandise: MLB teams generate revenue from the sale of merchandise related to their teams.
- Licensing: MLB teams generate revenue from the sale of licensing rights to their teams.
Conclusion
Major League Baseball teams do not float because they are not publicly traded companies. MLB teams are owned by individuals or families, or corporations, and generate revenue from a variety of sources, including ticket sales, television rights, sponsorships, merchandise, and licensing.