According to an NHL source, Bill Haslam will become the new owner of the Nashville Preds over a period of years.
Sportico reported on Thursday that the owner of the ClevelandBrowns was close to buying the NashvillePredators. Herbert Fritch leads a group of 17 other people.
The sale was not specifically discussed at the Board of Governors meeting in New York. Any potential sale would be decided by the league.
The team is expected to give more information on Friday.
An NHL source says that Haslam is not going to take over the team soon. He will purchase shares from Fritch over the next three years to become the group's leader. There is no plan for minority owners to sell their shares.
Several months ago, talks between the two started. The governor of Tennessee was a Republican.
The Nashville Predators are worth $600 million according to Forbes. The team operates the arena and shares in the revenues from other events. The sixth highest grossing arena in the U.S. was the Bridgestone.
The fan base of the team has grown in the last 10 years. The Golden Knights played to 95.3% capacity at home. Their "Smashville" marketing hook has created a generation of new fans, while the team has attempted to position itself as a regional southern franchise in order to cultivate new supporters.
Craig Leipold founded the League in 1998. A group of different owners bought the team from him.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
