Mark Cuban makes MLB move with controversial AL team ahead of $2B stadium project
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - JANUARY 19: Mark Cuban smiles for the camera on the sidelines before the Indiana Hoosiers versus the Miami Hurricanes College Football Playoff National Championship Game Presented by AT&T on January 19, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire COLLEGE FOOTBALL: JAN 19 College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T Indiana vs Miami EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260119021
Mark Cuban has made his first investment in Major League Baseball, and it's not a typical one.
The former owner of the Dallas Mavericks has joined the ownership group of the Athletics. The American League West team left Oakland in 2024 and is now playing its home games at a minor league ballpark in Sacramento. The team is also building a $2 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip, according to Front Office Sports.
Mark Cuban comes in as part of Harbinger Sports Partners, a sports-focused private equity firm that also counts Atlanta Falcons minority owner Rashaun Williams among its principals.
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October 19, 2024, Phoenix, Arizona, USA: Billionaire Mark Cuban holds a town hall for small businesses on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Phoenix. Phoenix USA - ZUMAs298 20241019_zsp_s298_034 Copyright: xCalvinxStewartx
The deal is Harbinger's first investment since launching last May. The firm set out to raise $750 million for its first fund, targeting minority stakes in North American sports franchises, with plans for 10 to 12 investments total. Mark Cuban credited Williams and former MLB CFO Jonathan Mariner as the drivers.
"I'm excited about it," Cuban told Front Office Sports. "We really like the management and ownership team."
Williams was equally direct on why the A's were the deliberate first call. "We specifically reached out to the A's because we wanted to be their partners," he said.
Forbes values the Athletics at $2 billion, making them the 18th most valuable team in Major League Baseball. The team is currently second from the bottom in the AL West with a 43-59 record. Their temporary home, Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, can hold only 14,014 fans, much fewer than most MLB stadiums. That is one reason they have the lowest attendance in the league this season.
The Athletics' new stadium in Las Vegas is expected to open in 2028. It will have 33,000 seats and will be built on the Las Vegas Strip. The project's cost has increased from $1.5 billion to about $2 billion. Team owner John Fisher will pay all the extra costs beyond the $380 million in public funding.
Williams made it clear that the investment is not meant to save the team financially.
"Fisher definitely doesn't need our money. We're not coming to bail anyone out by any means," he said.
The real pitch is what comes after.
Harbinger sees Las Vegas as MLB's best long-term bet despite crowded sports market
Many people worry because Las Vegas already has the Raiders, Golden Knights, Aces, and could also get an NBA team. But Williams said he is not worried about that.
"I can assure you that no one's going blindly into a market without evidence that it can support the type of stadium, the scheduling, and all the live events they'll probably do at the ballpark," he told Front Office Sports.
He said the city gets between 30 million and 40 million tourists every year, and that gives him confidence in the project. Williams also made one thing clear: once the stadium is built, things will change.
"It's going to be the best ballpark ever built in the history of Major League Baseball."
Do you think Mark Cuban's investment will help turn the Athletics into a legitimate contender in Las Vegas? Let us know in the comments.
