Seattle Mariners: Close To A Billion Dollar Operation

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Apparently, Jack has the money….let’s see him do something with it this year. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners are the 18th-most valuable enterprise in Major League Baseball according to a new report released by Bloomberg. According to the report, Bloomberg News spent nine months compiling data ranging from ticket revenue to concessions to parking to TV revenues to determine the most valuable teams.

Probably no surprise, the New York Yankees were the No. 1 team with a value of $3.3 billion. The Mariners were 18th at $720 million. Bloomberg said its financial information came from “historical” sources, which is loosely translated to mean they didn’t get much from any individual team, but from previously published data from sources such as the players union, MLB media partners and from MLB itself.

"In calculating team value, Bloomberg News examined revenue from ticket sales, concessions, sponsorships and broadcast rights, as well as interests in TV channels, radio stations and real estate.Revenue from national TV contracts and merchandise is split evenly among the teams, as is the value of MLB Advanced Media, a subsidiary that supplies content to Internet and mobile subscribers."

So, here is the breakdown for the Mariners in each category:

  • Team revenue- $225 million (14th)
  • Gate receipts- $48 million (20th)
  • Concessions- $17 million (18th)
  • Sponsorship- $29 million (5th)
  • Media Rights- $83 million (12th)
  • Parking- $4 million (15th)
  • Attendance- 1.8 million (25th)
  • MLB Advanced Media- $110 million
  • Revenue sharing – (-$1 million)

How the heck do the Mariners end up paying a million dollars into the revenue sharing pot while fielding the team they did? Meanwhile, the Oakland A’s win the AL West and get $36 million of the revenue sharing pot (the most in the majors).

This data should change beginning next year with the Mariners owning the majority stake in Root Sports, giving them a Regional TV deal like 12 of the 17 teams ahead of the Mariners on this list.