Braves take page out of Packers playbook with opportunity for fans

The Atlanta Braves are on their way towards being MLB’s version of the Green Bay Packers.

Liberty Media made a bold move by splitting the Atlanta Braves off as their own publicly-traded entity on NASDAQ this week. Behold, Atlanta Braves Holdings!

This is so cool. I see no downside to this whatsoever. It is a little bit different than the publicly-traded NFL franchise that is the Green Bay Packers, but maybe not so much. What this move by Liberty Media does is allows rabid fans in Braves Country to purchase varying levels of stock in the team they love so much. This will only allow the NL franchise to garner even more financial capital.

It will afford Liberty Media even opportunities to further connect with Braves fans, generate more revenue and possibly, put the team in a position to be sold, if they choose to go in that direction.

What a cash cow!

Atlanta Braves take a page out of the Green Bay Packers ownership playbook

Look. If I were Liberty Media, why the hell would I even think about selling this team? This is a top-five franchise in baseball in pretty much every statistical category. Yes, you could get a lot of money for the Braves, but why cash out when you literally just turned on the money spigots and it is about to rain gold? Believe or not, I actually see the positive long-term motive with all of this…

In a cord-cutting world where RSN’s are on their deathbed, the Braves are about to become a national brand once again. We will never get back to the days of the TBS Superstation, but there is a reason why Braves fans show up in droves wherever they go: Ted Turner’s marketing brilliance. By issuing three classes of stock, it will create sentimental attachment like the Packers have done.

Eventually, baseball is going to expand to 32 teams. We will have a wave of realignment. That is coming. In terms of media markets where franchises will go, look no further than Charlotte and/or Nashville. These Triple-A cities are ready for the show. The Charlotte Knights and Nashville Sounds will be amazing additions. However, adding one or both takes territory away from Braves Country.

With the stock split, this allows people all over the country, and all over the world for that matter, opportunities to buy stake in this team. I’m not sure if Braves diehards in Charlotte or Nashville are going to switch allegiances when their Triple-A teams inevitably make the leap, but some will. By issuing stock, it helps make the Braves attempt to be as big of a brand as the New York Yankees.

That is what the Braves and Liberty Media should aspire to. No doubt, this is so freaking big time.