OCRegister: Dodgers Invest in 10 Startup Companies

[weams]

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dodgers-658617-program-sports.html

The Dodgers are using their vast financial resources in a largely unprecedented manner, announcing last week they'll invest up to $1.2 million in some 10 startups over the next six months, seeking profit and, perhaps, some on-field benefits.

“We're in this to find products and companies and technologies that solve our problems but are ultimately scalable,” says Dodgers CFO Tucker Kain. “We're not really going to cross over into the proprietary, competitive-advantage area. But, hey, listen, if somebody comes to us with something that is incredibly proprietary … we might pull it out of the program.”

Making the world a better place.

[Can_of_corn]

You can tell they are really trying to curb spending.

[24fps]

It was only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see how many other sports franchises (not just baseball) will follow suit in the next few years.

[weams]

It was only a matter of time. It will be interesting to see how many other sports franchises (not just baseball) will follow suit in the next few years.

It will finally get the anti trust exemption removed.

[srock]

So the Dodgers ownership group finally realized they are less sports-centric and more like a venture capital firm.

At least they are owned by a hedge fund.

[Can_of_corn]

It will finally get the anti trust exemption removed.

No it won't.

[Frobby]

It will finally get the anti trust exemption removed.

No it won't.

There are already some small holes in the antitrust exemption. There is a good discussion of the history of the exemption and recent developments here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/u-s-supreme-court-asked-to-overturn-baseballs-antitrust-exemption/

In any event I think it is clear that the Dodgers' non-baseball ventures won't receive any antitrust protection. Whether these non-baseball ventures will cause courts to re-think whether baseball should have the exemption at all is more doubtful, but I wouldn't rule it out.

[Il BuonO]

It will finally get the anti trust exemption removed.

From what I've read it's very unlikely the case is heard.

EDIT:

Frobby posted the article I had read on FG. That covers a lot of ground.