A’s Find First Investor in Las Vegas Ballpark

The Athletics have announced the MLB team’s first minority investor. It’s Aramark Sports + Entertainment, the Philadelphia-based concessionaire announced in May as the overseer of all food and hospitality at the Las Vegas ballpark the team says it will open on the Las Vegas Strip.

Though terms of the deal were not announced, the Sports Business Journal reported that Aramark, which also served as the concessionaire for the A’s former home, the Oakland Coliseum, has invested $100 million in the team plus a $75 million capital expenditure contribution.

The A’s and Aramark announced the investment in a news release that also named restaurateur and best-selling author Will Guidara as the supervisor of the stadium’s culinary and hospitality programs.

“This partnership reflects our belief that great hospitality should be at the heart of the fan experience,” A’s President Marc Badain said in the release. “With Aramark’s culinary expertise and Will’s visionary approach, we’re not just building a ballpark, we’re creating a destination that captures the creativity and energy of the Las Vegas community.”

Aramark’s investment in the A’s comes as the price tag for the Las Vegas stadium keeps skyrocketing. Team owner John Fisher told the Nevada Independent last week that the cost of the venue, originally estimated to be $1.5 billion, is now “up in the $2 billion range.”

While Fisher, whose personal wealth is estimated as $2.9 billion by Forbes, has given only his word that he’s good for any shortfall, he has been seeking investors purchase at least $550 million in A’s equity at what is considered an overinflated valuation of $2 billion.

After Aramark’s investment, that would leave Fisher sort $375 million of his investment goal. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Fisher is currently negotiating with entities including a member of the K-Pop (Korean pop) group BTS and a former MLB pitcher who have expressed interest in investing $70 million.

The A’s expect to begin playing in the 9-acre ballpark at the start of 2028 MLB season.