COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 711211

Sports Teams and Clubs

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

54companies1861–2001founding years52still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedTribune Company
1861
FoundedThe All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club
1868
FoundedManchester United Football Club plc
1878
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedNational Hockey League
1917
FoundedNational Football League
1920
FoundedHarlem Globetrotters International, Inc.
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
FoundedThe Detroit Lions, Inc.
1930
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedBoston Professional Hockey Association Inc.
1952
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedDallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd.
1960
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedRich Products CorporationFoundedTurner Broadcasting System, Inc.
1965
FoundedThe Basketball Club of Seattle, LLC
1966
FoundedPortland Trail Blazers
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
FoundedThe Baseball Club of Seattle, LP
1976
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
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.
FoundedBoca Resorts, Inc.
1996
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
FoundedIlitch Holdings Inc.FoundedYankeeNets LLC
1999
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
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.
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.
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…
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…
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.
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The Green Bay Packers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
The Green Bay Packers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
The Green Bay Packers, Inc.
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc.
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Harlem Globetrotters International, Inc.
The Detroit Lions, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
1990s:The Lions reach the playoffs six times during the decade but fail to win an NFL title.
The Detroit Lions, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
1990s:The Lions reach the playoffs six times during the decade but fail to win an NFL title.
Washington Football, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Washington Football, Inc.
Washington Football, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Washington Football, Inc.
Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc. →
Active · founded 1952 · Web Sit: http://www.bostonbruins.com
The Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc.
Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc. →
Active · founded 1952 · Web Sit: http://www.bostonbruins.com
The Boston Professional Hockey Association Inc.
Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1960
The Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd.
Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1960
The Dallas Cowboys Football Club, Ltd.
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…
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.
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.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
As a subsidiary of media giant Time Warner Inc., Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
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…
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…
Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club →
Active · founded 1970
The Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club oversees the operations of the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League baseball team…
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…
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…
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.
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.
Cablevision Systems Corporation →
Active · founded 1985
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the largest cable systems operators in the United States, providing service…
Cablevision Systems Corporation →
Active · founded 1985
Cablevision Systems Corporation is one of the largest cable systems operators in the United States, providing service…
TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1993 · Mexico
TV Azteca, S.A.
TV Azteca, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1993 · Mexico
TV Azteca, S.A.
Boca Resorts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Boca Resorts Inc.
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…
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…
Ilitch Holdings Inc. →
Active · founded 1999
Ranked 284 on the Forbes list of largest private companies, Ilitch Holdings Inc.
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…
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. →
Defunct · founded 2001
Global media powerhouse AOL Time Warner Inc.
AOL Time Warner Inc. →
Defunct · founded 2001
Global media powerhouse AOL Time Warner Inc.
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