MSG Selling WNBA’s Liberty

Wikipedia / Fuzzy510 –
New York Liberty

After more than 20 years of ownership, The Madison Square Garden Co. announced Nov. 14 it intends to sell the WNBA team the New York Liberty.

The company released a statement through its social media and on the team’s website.

“This was a difficult decision for us, which we made after carefully assessing the needs of our business,” MSG CEO and executive chairman James Dolan said. “We are confident that new ownership can build on the foundation we established over these last 21 years, and steward this incredible franchise into an even more successful future.”

The Liberty was an original franchise in the WNBA’s first season in 1997, and remains one of only three teams still playing in its original city, according to the New York Times.

Dolan also says in his statement that, as the last original owner he was proud of how far the league has come.

In an interview with HBO’s “Real Sports” Dolan said the team “hasn’t made money. … Its prospects of making money … are slim,” the Times reported.

MSG Co. recently saw a management shakeup as former company president and CEO David “Doc” O’Connor announced his resignation Nov. 13, after 28 months as the company head, and told Pollstar Dolan would fill the role in the interim.

The Madison Square Garden Company is a member of Oak View Group’s Arena Alliance. Oak View Group is the parent company of Pollstar.