Launch of BravesVision among revenue generators for franchise

The launch of BravesVision, ticket sales, the popular City Connect apparel, Savannah Bananas games and real-estate holdings were among the income generators that Braves executives flaunted Wednesday (along with the team’s on-field success) in a quarterly earnings call for Atlanta Braves Holdings Inc., the team’s publicly traded parent company.

Through June, Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller said in a statement, average attendance was up and BravesVision (the team’s new network) was outpacing early projections for direct-to-consumer subscriptions. Schiller expressed confidence that revenue from BravesVision will match or exceed what the team received from its previous agreement with FanDuel Sports Network on an annualized basis.

“Work has also begun to extend content on the network, including live batting practice at home games, in addition to our pre- and postgame shows for those who want to tune in and see the action ahead of the game,” Schiller said.

However, Braves Holdings’ performance in a key metric dropped significantly because of an increase in player salaries and the launch of BravesVision.

The operating profit before depreciation and amortization (adjusted OIBDA) — a figure often used to assess a sports franchise’s financial performance — dropped from $65.7 million in the second quarter of 2025 to $11.8 million this year.

Baseball operating costs, which include player salaries, BravesVision and expenses related to special events at Truist Park, increased from $211 million in the second quarter of 2025 to $252 million this year.

The team’s annual payroll increased from $235 million in 2025 to $257 million in ’26, according to Spotrac. (Not all of the yearly salary totals would be reflected in a quarterly report.)

Further, overall quarterly revenue for April-June was actually slightly down from 2025, from $312 million to $305 million. But that was in part because the team had played 34 home games during that period compared to 40 in 2025. Also, revenue from BravesVision has been received at a slower pacing than it had been from FanDuel Sports Network.

However, the revenue stream labeled in the financial report as “other” jumped from $7.3 million to $20.7 million, which was attributed to Truist Park hosting three Savannah Bananas games in May and the Braves Country Fest music festival in June.

The latter brought more than 100,000 visitors to the stadium and Battery Atlanta, contributing to a total of 4.7 million visitors to the Battery in the first half of 2026, a 6.5% increase from 2025. Truist also held a Noah Kahan concert in July and will host Guns N’ Roses in September.

“We continue to work around the clock to make the most of our campus and ballpark and bring as many fans and visitors as we can,” Schiller said.

The launch of the new City Connect apparel line was credited as the primary driver of a $3.2 million jump in revenue from retail and licensing, from $18.6 million to $21.8 million.

The franchise’s mixed-use development arm saw its quarterly revenues grow from $25.1 million to $28.7 million. This period was noteworthy, as Pennant Park, a six-building office complex adjacent to the Battery, was acquired in April 2025, providing the first year-over-year comparison.

“Taken together, the contributions of Pennant Park, continued development of The Battery Atlanta and growing calendar of events at Truist Park demonstrate how we are building a more balanced, resilient business around our core baseball operations,” said Mike Plant, president and CEO of Braves Development Company.

At the start of the call, Terry McGuirk, chairman, president and CEO of Braves Holdings, took time to laud the team’s performance, identifying a number of Braves players by name, as well as president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager Walt Weiss, calling them “two of the finest leaders in baseball.”

He also called attention to the deals made before Monday’s trade deadline, which have generated no small outcry from fans, as the team did not acquire a playoff-caliber starting pitcher.

“We approached the trade deadline the same way we have in the past — with the mentality of making our team better without sacrificing the next wave of talent,” McGuirk said in a statement. “This is a deep and talented organization and we believe this team is positioned to compete deep in October.”