Sacramento Rivercats Named Most Valuable Minor League Team

According to Forbes, the River Cats have some of the highest-priced tickets, but still led the 20-team pool in ticket revenue. Attendance, however, was down last year. The park has drawn record crowds since opening in 2000.

“Since the River Cats came to Sacramento, no other Minor League team has had more fans come through the gates than us. We just had our 10 millionth fan earlier this season,” said Mark Ling, a baseball information editor for the River Cats.

The team also nets about $750,000 annually for the naming rights to Raley Field in West Sacramento. Raley Field has a seating capacity of more than 14,000, but filling the stadium has never been a problem for the River Cats. The team leads the Minor Leagues in attendance, averaging more than 8,000 fans a game. Strong attendance is just one of the reasons why the River Cats are in first place when it comes to finances.

“It’s a family atmosphere. We like to bring the kids out and watch the game,” said Rodney Blackwell, who attends a dozen or so games a year.

This is second year the River Cats — owned by Susan Savage — have been No. 1 on Forbes’ list. In 2012, the team’s overall value was lower ($32 million) than this year, but their revenue and operating income were both higher, at $20 million and $9.7 million, respectively.

The River Cats are currently tied for second place in their Pacific Coast League divisional standings with a record of 52-47.

Source: kcra.com, csnbayarea.com