An investment group led by American billionaire Mark Cuban has acquired a minority stake in the Athletics ahead of the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise’s move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Private investment firm Harbinger Sports Partners made the announcement, but it did not reveal what percentage of the team it had purchased.
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The A's have reportedly been trying to sell a minority stake since 2024. Forbes values the team at $2 billion, placing it 18th among 30 MLB teams.
Harbinger Sports Partners was co-launched last year by Cuban, who serves as general partner and president, and several high-level sports executives and entrepreneurs.
The Atlanta-based company is led by venture capital investor Rashaun Williams and Steve Cannon, former chief executive at the AMB Sports and Entertainment group (which controls the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the Atlanta United Major League soccer club).
Williams, a minority owner of the Falcons, is the founder and chief investment officer, while Cannon is co-founder and CEO. Managing partner Jonathan Mariner is the former chief financial officer for MLB.
Cuban is the former principal owner of the Dallas Mavericks, but still owns a minority share in the NBA basketball franchise.
When it launched in May 2025, Harbinger Sports Partners signalled its intention to raise $750 million by 2027 to take minority stakes of up to 5% in franchises across MLB, the NBA, and the NFL.
In total, the group intends to make 10 to 12 investments out of its first fund and is actively in talks with other teams.
The firm’s deal for the A’s represents its first acquisition.
In a statement, the MLB team said: “We are very pleased to welcome Harbinger Sports Partners as an investor in the Athletics.
“The experience of their principals across sports, media, and entertainment, combined with their long-term perspective, makes them a valuable addition to our ownership group as we work to build the future of the franchise in Las Vegas.”
John Fisher is the majority owner of the A's and is overseeing construction of a $2 billion, 33,000-capacity domed stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.
The A's are playing the second of three planned seasons at a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento, California.
Currently, a single fund can invest in up to six NFL franchises and up to five in the NBA, while in MLB, there is currently no limit.
Across those three leagues, there is also a difference in the maximum stake that can be taken by a fund – 10% in the NFL, 15% in MLB, and 20% in the NBA.
The NFL was the last of the major US sports leagues to vote through the acceptance of private fund investment into its teams in 2024 (with multiple conditions attached).
According to Forbes, Cuban has an estimated net worth of $6 billion.
He purchased a majority stake in the Mavericks in 2000 for $285 million and stayed on as majority owner for over 23 years, before selling a controlling stake of 73% at the end of 2023.
That sale, to a group including Miriam Adelson, is believed to have earned Cuban around $3.5 billion.
In terms of involvement in other leagues, meanwhile, he has tried to buy three franchises from MLB (the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Los Angeles Dodgers), and has also had a bid turned down (as part of a wider consortium) to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins from the National Hockey League.
