MOGULS
When the Washington Capitals take to the ice for their home opener next month, AOL's Ted Leonsis won't be sitting in the cheap seats. Leonsis is part of a growing roster of tech execs snapping up pro sports franchises for their own amusement. And since sports teams also provide content, synergy-minded skybox nerds can have their fun and sell it, too.
| MOGUL| Ted Leonsis President, Interactive Properties Group, AOL
|
| TEAM| COST
| PURCHASE DATE| SHARE
| | Washington Capitals (hockey) | $200 million
| May 1999 | 60 percent
<p> <strMMENDED SYNERGY PLAY</stnveil new AOL feature allowing subscribers to instant-message Caps players during games. </p>
<strLIGHT REEL</stmong the deal sweeteners, Leonsis and his partners grabbed 40 percent of the NBA's Washington Wizards. </p>
<strL</ststr Cuban</stir, broadcast.com </p>
<p>
<str</ststr</st>
<strHASE DATE</ststrE</st>
<p> Pittsburgh Penguins (hockey) | $100 million (est.) </p>
In negotiation | Undetermined </p>
p> | <ong>DED SYNERGY PLAY</strong showcased event on broadcast.com: another damn Penguins game. </p> <p>
<ong>T REEL</strong – a Pittsburgh native – along with Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux, are trying to pull the Pens out of debt and keep them in the city. </p> <p>
<ong>trongng>er</strongf Snyder Communications, a tech advertising and marketing company </p> <p>
<| <
ong>rongng>rong>
<ong> DATE</strongng>trong
| Wington Redskins (football) | $800 million </p> <p>
M1999
| 33 percent </p>
<
| <stroRECOSYNERGY PLAY</strong> | kins players to make personal calls to ad clients who owe Snyder money. </p> <p> |
oHIGHEL</strong> | g Redskins fan, Snyder snapped up the largest individual share of the team in a record deal for a sports franchise. </p> <p> |
oMOGUg> | eteos Jr</strong>. CCEO, Compuware </p> <p> |
stro
TEAM> | OST> </
oPURCE</strong> | HARg> </
arolHurricanes (hockey) | $15 million </p> <p> |
4
| 50 percent </p>
<p>
trong>RMMENRGY PLAY</strong> | Hurrcome first fully Y2K-compliant NHL team. </p> <p> | <str
HLIGHstrong> | Karmued several teams before landing the Hartford Whalers and moving them to North Carolina. </p> <p> | <str
ML</s <strMooong> Chair,e Systems, provider of business-application software </p> <p> | <p>
sng>T
</st<str/stp><r
PHASEtrong> | <str</s/p> S
iegodres (baseball) | $80 million </p> <p> | Dece
4
| 80 percent </p>
<p>
| <s
g>RECOMDED PLAY</strong> | "Businesns Night" at the ballpark – free asset-management software to the first 20,000 fans. </p> <p> | <strong>
LT REng> | Moores fC Software in Houston before relocating to San Diego. </p> <p> | <strong>
Ltronrong>n</Chair, Vulres; Microsoft cofounder </p> <p> | <p> | <
nEAM<
rongong>ongp>
HDATg> | <strong>ron | <pt
eaha(football) | $200 million </p> <p> | June 199
1percent </p> <p> | Portland
ilazers (basketball) | $70 million </p> <p> | May 1988
0ercent </p>
<p>
| <stron
COMMENDSYNE</strong> | None – furthlikely to be blocked by Department of Justice antitrust suit charging Allen with monopolizing pro sports in the Northwest. </p> <p> | <strong>HIGH
TEL</| The originalc sports team owner, Allen is also shopping for a hockey team to bring to Portland. </p> <p> | <strong>MUS
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