(Bloomberg) -- US businessman Ray Chambers is renewing efforts to sell a minority stake in the New York Yankees, people with knowledge of the matter said, potentially adding to a string of deals involving iconic sports teams.
Chambers is seeking a buyer for the holding in Yankee Global Enterprises, the Major League Baseball franchise’s parent company, according to the people. Sportico valued the Yankees at about $7.9 billion in March.
Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty they’ll result in a sale, the people said.
A representative for Community Youth Organization, the entity through which Chambers owns the YGE stake, declined to comment. A representative for YGE didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The Yankees are controlled by the Steinbrenner family, with Hal Steinbrenner, 54, serving as chairman and managing general partner of YGE. A plethora of smaller stakeholders have included the retired New York oil trader Ray Bartoszek and the Crown family.
YGE is split between class A shares, which receive a dividend, and class B shares. The company also houses investments in cable network YES Network, soccer teams New York City FC and AC Milan and sports-focused hospitality company Legends.
Any deal involving the Yankees would rank among the most high-profile in global sports in recent years.
While small stakes in teams can often swap hands unannounced, a rapid rise in valuations has brought extra attention to changes in ownership across a range of sports teams — from English Premier League football clubs Chelsea FC and Manchester United FC to the National Football League’s Washington Commanders and National Basketball Association’s Milwaukee Bucks.
A small stake in the San Francisco Giants is currently for sale at a price that could value the MLB team at about $4 billion, Bloomberg News has reported. And Oakland Athletics’ owner John Fisher recently said he’s open to selling a minority stake in the MLB team.
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--With assistance from Ira Boudway and Liana Baker.
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