The Business Of Baseball
#8 St Louis Cardinals
04.07.10, 06:00 PM EDT
Team Value1$488 mil
www.stlcardinals.com
The St Louis Cardinals are owned by William DeWitt Jr, who bought them in 1995 for $150 mil.
Current Manager Tony La Russa
2009 Wins-to-player cost ratio8 100
The skinny
The Cardinals returned to the playoffs last year after a two-year absence on the back of slugger Albert Pujols who won his third MVP award after the season. The first baseman is under contract with the Cardinals for two more years and will command one of the biggest contracts in the history of game. The Cards are one of the best supported teams in baseball with yearly attendance regularly topping 3 million fans. It is an impressive feat considering the midsize market status of St. Louis. Fans better keep showing up if they want payroll to remain near the top of National League teams as the Cardinals' owners are on the hook for $20 million in annual payments for the money they borrowed to build Busch Stadium.
Metro area population: 2,816,710
Revenue per fan: $57
Major corporate sponsors are United States Cellular (nyse: USM), Coca-Cola (nyse: KO), AT&T (nyse: T), Bank of America (nyse: BAC).
Naming rights sponsor is Anheuser-Busch InBev (nyse: BUD).
Media Partners
TV: KSDK 5/FSN Midwest
Radio: Big 550 KTRS
2009 RSN ratings: 7.97
Valuation Breakdown
Sport $101 mil
Market $196 mil
Stadium $128 mil
Brand Management $64 mil
Team Value $488 mi