In 2004, just six years after purchasing the Dodgers, Fox Broadcasting sold the team to Frank and Jamie McCourt, for $430 million. Now, seven years later, the McCourts still own the team, but Major League Baseball has stepped in and taken over the day-to-day control.
The $430 million price tag was a modest 38.3 percent increase over the $311 million price that Fox originally paid for the historic franchise in 1998. But that pales in comparison to the growth in franchise value over the last seven years.
In the latest team valuations released by Forbes.com, the Dodgers are the third most valuable franchise in baseball at $800 million. That is an 86.0 percent increase over what the McCourts paid. And that is a 100.5 percent increase over what Forbes.com valued the Dodgers at in 2004 ($399M).
Looking at these numbers, it is easy to see why Frank McCourt is anxious to hold on to the team. (And why Jamie wants a full 50% cut in the divorce.)
Data via Forbes.com
