ANAHEIM, CA — The Los Angeles Angels have been sold to Rams owner Stan Kroenke, marking the end of Arte Moreno's 23-year tenure with the Anaheim-based team.
The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions and Major League Baseball approval, according to ESPN.
The deal is projected to break an MLB record, surpassing the $3.9 billion Padres sale that took place earlier this year, the Los Angeles Times reported.
In a statement published by ESPN, departing Angels owner Arte Moreno wrote:
"The Angels Organization is pleased to announce this transaction with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The Moreno Family has been honored to steward the Angels for 23 years and we believe with KSE's experience and success they are the best next owner for the franchise. The Angels Organization looks forward to continuing its commitment to the fans, our employees, the players and our business partners."
According to KTLA, Kroenke Sports & Entertainments's holdings include the L.A. Rams, Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL, and Arsenal Football Club of the English Premier League.
The company also owns and operates SoFi Stadium, Ball Area, DICK's Sporting Goods Park, Altitude Sports & Entertainment, and Outdoor Sportsman Group, the report said.
Moreno purchased the Angels from The Walt Disney Co. for $183.5 million in 2003, a year after the franchise won its first and only World Series championship. Major League Baseball owners unanimously approved the sale in May 2003, making Moreno the first Latino controlling owner in MLB history.
The Angels enjoyed their greatest sustained stretch of regular-season success early in Moreno's tenure, winning American League West titles in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2014. The team later endured a prolonged postseason drought despite featuring stars including Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
Moreno announced in August 2022 that his family had begun exploring a possible sale of the franchise. Five months later, however, the family ended the process and announced it would retain ownership, with Moreno saying at the time that the family had "unfinished business" with the team.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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