The audience quietens as the set lights dim and the ‘Shark Tank’ music fades. He has been an incisive, honest voice of reason and merciless negotiator in entrepreneurship for 14 years. He may create or ruin a dream with one “I’m out.” As the camera rolls for the last time, he says he is officially out. But he is already setting up a new game. Guess where he is headed? Is he thinking of stepping into MLB?

Mark Cuban has long been interested in MLB. Through the years, he has tried multiple times to buy MLB franchises, including offers for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs. Though these attempts failed, his love of baseball ownership stayed unshaken. Can he acquire one now?

Are you familiar with the Harbinger Sports Partners Fund? Well, it was co-founded by Steve Cannon (former CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment), Rashaun Williams (venture capitalist), and Cuban. They plan to put between $50 million and $150 million per deal going ahead.

Harbinger is looking to own up to 5% of NBA, NFL, and MLB teams as part of their strategy, with the plan to sell these through secondary offerings in seven to ten years. The sports market is no stranger to Cuban. And his developing interest in baseball makes sense.

Cuban has previously also ventured into sports ownership. He bought the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks for $285 million in 2000, turning the failing franchise into a championship-winning club, which is worth 4.7 billion dollars today. He kept a 27% ownership but sold most of the Mavericks to casino billionaire Miriam Adelson in 2023. This time, he is just being extra careful and looking to adopt a systematic investment approach.

The Harbinger co-owner, Rashuan Williams, was upfront about what they were looking for. “The professional sports sector is maturing into an institutional-quality asset class,” he said in a statement. “Harbinger will be structured to operate within league frameworks while offering long-term capital, operational fluency, and a responsible ownership mindset.”

Professional sports minority stakes are becoming more popular. Most of these opportunities were designated for insiders or individuals with team ownership links. However, fractional ownership in sports clubs has grown now, as institutional investors seek diversified portfolios and high-growth assets. Harbinger Sports Partners democratizes access to an asset class with strong returns to match this need.

And it’s not the first time NBA owners have shown interest in an MLB team. Do you remember Glen Taylor’s interest in the Minnesota Twins?

Court to diamond: NBA owners eyeing MLB ventures

MLB has not only attracted viewers, but it has also made an impact on investors.  A significant trend in the sports business in recent years has been that NBA owners and investors are increasingly focusing on Major League Baseball teams. This cross-league interest emphasizes the changing scene of sports ownership, where varied portfolios and calculated investments are starting to be standard. Mark Cuban isn’t the only one. Other NBA owners, such as Glen Taylor, are looking into MLB prospects as well.

Pending final NBA approval, Glen Taylor, the longstanding owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, recently agreed to sell both franchises to a group fronted by former MLB star Alex Rodriguez and entrepreneur Marc Lore for $1.5 billion. Taylor has been rumored to be interested in acquiring Minnesota Twins in the past.

Likewise, famous for his great NBA career, Magic Johnson has stepped into MLB with a champion team. Johnson became co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 – a team that has since found notable success, including World Series victories in 2020 and 2024.

More NBA owners and investors are probably going to look into chances within MLB as sports franchise values rise and the sports business gets more linked. This cross-pollination of ownership not only diversifies investment portfolios but also promotes a more integrated and vibrant sports business landscape.