I’m hearing more and more the Raiders could be on the verge of bringing on a business partner to help them with their potential move to Carson with the San Diego Chargers.
After doing some poking around, it appears to be someone well connected to Los Angeles, and someone who will enhance the entertainment and development aspects of the Raiders and Chargers shared stadium project.
The question is, who is it?
I’ve heard everyone from Tim Leiweke to Casey Wasserman to Irving Azoff to Magic Johnson, but thus far everyone is being extremely tight-lipped about who it might be as is what the ultimate role will be for whoever is brought on.
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One thing that’s been made very clear to me: While the mystery person could invest money into the club, I continue to be told Raiders owner Mark Davis will not sell controlling interest in the team. This isn’t a move out of desperation, The Chargers and Raiders have the necessary financing in place to get the stadium done. And the Raiders are well positioned to operate successfully in L.A.
Whoever is brought on, it will be as a minority owner who will increase the Raiders and Chargers ability to maximize non-game day revenue opportunities. Think surrounding development and entertainment possibilities.
That’s a key point, as the sense I am getting is the NFL’s return to L.A. isn’t just about building a new stadium. It’s about developing an NFL themed entertainment center.
That is what St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke is trying to do in Inglewood, and while the Carson project was always dramatically different than the Inglewood vision, it seems the NFL might want Carson to move more in that direction.
Bringing in someone who can enhance that vision – and infuse the Raiders with additional capital – could be a key in Carson ultimately gaining NFL approval.
The question is, who is it?
