COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 711211

Professional Sports Teams & Organizations

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

42companies1861–2001founding years42still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedTribune Company
1861
FoundedChicago National League Ball Club, Inc.
1876
FoundedJuventus F.C. S.p.A
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedNational Hockey League
1917
FoundedWirtz Corporation
1922
FoundedHarlem Globetrotters International, Inc.
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedPittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc.
1933
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedThe Detroit Pistons Basketball Company
1941
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedDallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd.
1960
FoundedMetropolitan Baseball Club Inc.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTurner Broadcasting System, Inc.
1965
FoundedDenver Nuggets
1967
FoundedPortland Trail Blazers
1970
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedJazz Basketball Investors, Inc.
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedLarry H. Miller Group
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedTV Azteca, S.A. de C.V.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedAston Villa plc
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedIlitch Holdings Inc.
1999
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Cleveland Indians Baseball Company, Inc. →
Active
An original member of the American League, the Cleveland Indians Baseball Company, Inc.
Tribune Company →
Active · founded 1861
Tribune Company is one of the largest media companies in the United States.
The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club →
Active · founded 1868 · United Kingdom
The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (the AELTC) has overseen the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the world's…
Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc. →
Active · founded 1876
Chicago National League Ball Club, Inc., better known to Major League Baseball fans as the Chicago Cubs, is a…
Manchester United Football Club plc →
Active · founded 1878 · United Kingdom
Manchester United Football Club plc has earned a reputation as England's most financially successful football team.
Juventus F.C. S.p.A →
Active · founded 1897 · Italy
One of the premier professional soccer clubs in the world, Juventus F.C.
Società Sportiva Lazio SpA →
Active · founded 1900 · Italy
Società Sportiva Lazio SpA (SS Lazio) is the corporation behind one of Italy's oldest soccer teams, the first Italian…
National Hockey League →
Active · founded 1917
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a nonprofit corporation, based in New York, that serves as a trade association for…
Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc. →
Active · founded 1920
The Chicago Bears Football Club, Inc.
National Football League →
Active · founded 1920
The governing body for the most popular spectator sport in the United States, the National Football League (NFL) serves…
Wirtz Corporation →
Active · founded 1922
Wirtz Corporation houses the varied business interests of Chicago's influential Wirtz family, best known as the owners…
The Green Bay Packers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc.
The Detroit Lions, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
The Detroit Lions, Inc.
Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc. →
Active · founded 1933
Pittsburgh Steelers Sports, Inc., is the operating company for the National Football League's Pittsburgh Steelers,…
Washington Football, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Washington Football, Inc.
The Detroit Pistons Basketball Company →
Active · founded 1941
The Detroit Pistons Basketball Company is a member of the National Basketball Association (NBA), operating under an…
Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc. →
Active · founded 1952 · Web Sit: http://www.bostonbruins.com
The Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc.
Baltimore Orioles L.P. →
Active · founded 1953 · United States
The Baltimore Orioles L.P.
Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1960
The Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd.
Anaheim Angels Baseball Club, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
The Anaheim Angels Baseball Club, Inc.
Metropolitan Baseball Club Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
The New York Mets, legally known as the Metropolitan Baseball Club Inc., have known sporadic success in their four…
Rich Products Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
Rich Products Corporation entered the 21st century as one of the leading frozen food manufacturers in the United States.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
As a subsidiary of media giant Time Warner Inc., Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
New Orleans Saints LP →
Active · founded 1966
The New Orleans Saints LP, a professional football franchise, came into existence in 1966, when the National Football…
The Basketball Club of Seattle, LLC →
Active · founded 1966
Professional basketball in Seattle, Washington, had its beginnings on December 20, 1966, when the city was awarded a…
Denver Nuggets →
Active · founded 1967
The Denver Nuggets is a professional basketball franchise based in Denver, Colorado, that operates under the auspices…
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club →
Active · founded 1970
The Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club oversees the operations of the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League baseball team…
Portland Trail Blazers →
Active · founded 1970
It seemed fitting that the board of governors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) saw a future for their sport…
Texas Rangers Baseball →
Active · founded 1971
Texas Rangers Baseball is the official company name of the Major League Baseball franchise in Arlington, Texas,…
Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
Jazz Basketball Investors, Inc., owns the Utah Jazz, one of the most successful franchises in the National Basketball…
The Baseball Club of Seattle, LP →
Active · founded 1976
The Baseball Club of Seattle, LP, has become one of the most profitable franchises in Major League Baseball.
Larry H. Miller Group →
Active · founded 1979
The Larry H.
Cablevision Systems Corporation →
Active · founded 1985
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the largest cable systems operators in the United States, providing service…
Colorado Baseball Management, Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Colorado Baseball Management, Inc.
TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1993 · Mexico
TV Azteca, S.A.
Boca Resorts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Boca Resorts Inc.
Aston Villa plc →
Active · founded 1997 · United Kingdom
Aston Villa plc is the publicly listed company governing the activities of England's Aston Villa Football Club and the…
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. →
Active · founded 1998 · Canada
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Ilitch Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1999
Ranked 284 on the Forbes list of largest private companies, Ilitch Holdings Inc.
YankeeNets LLC →
Active · founded 1999
YankeeNets LLC, a holding company, is the parent of the New York Yankees American League baseball team, the New Jersey…
AOL Time Warner Inc. →
Active · founded 2001
Global media powerhouse AOL Time Warner Inc.
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