An investment group fronted by former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has purchased a minority stake in the Athletics as the franchise prepares for its planned relocation to Las Vegas in 2028. Thursday’s announcement from Harbinger Sports Group did not disclose the size of the ownership share, but the deal represents the Atlanta-based firm’s first investment since launching. Cuban, who still holds a minority interest in the Mavericks, serves as general partner and president of the group, while founder and chief investment officer Rashaun Williams is also a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons. The leadership team also includes Steve Cannon, vice chairman of AMB Sports and Entertainment, and managing partner Jonathan Mariner, a former chief financial officer for Major League Baseball.
Cuban struck a straightforward tone about the group’s motivations. “We are minority investors looking to make our investors a lot of money,” he said in a statement. The Athletics welcomed Harbinger as an investor, noting that its principals bring deep experience across sports, media, and entertainment. Majority owner John Fisher is overseeing construction of a $2 billion domed stadium with a capacity of 33,000 on the Las Vegas Strip, and team officials say the project remains on schedule to open for the 2028 season. Work on the upper deck is already visible along the city’s iconic skyline.
Harbinger has raised more than $460 million in less than six months and described its investment in the A’s as part of a broader strategy centered on the Las Vegas sports market. Williams pointed to surging franchise valuations for both the NFL’s Raiders and NHL’s Golden Knights since those teams established themselves in Las Vegas as evidence that similar growth awaits baseball in Southern Nevada. “Las Vegas represents one of the greatest sports investment opportunities of our generation,” Williams said. “We’re not simply investing in a baseball franchise. We’re investing in a city that has fundamentally changed the economics of professional sports.”
Cannon echoed that enthusiasm by drawing on his own experience helping develop Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He called the Athletics’ planned ballpark more than just a baseball venue, predicting it will become a year-round entertainment destination and another landmark along the Strip. The A’s are currently playing their second of three scheduled seasons at a minor league facility in West Sacramento, California, while their permanent home takes shape out West.