Last week, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers announced he was selling the basketball team for $12.5 billion — the highest price ever paid for a professional sports team. The deal has shocked the sports world and drawn new attention to a growing trend: Big groups of investors have been buying up professional sports teams as the franchises chase skyrocketing valuations.
Today, Pablo Torre, the host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” explains the deal and how big money is transforming our relationship with the sports we love.
Guest: Pablo Torre, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out.”
Background reading: 
<ul>
 <li>The deal for the Los Angeles Lakers valued the team at a record $12.5 billion, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/15/business/sports-team-values-billionaires.html?searchResultPosition=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eclipsing the $10 billion paid for the franchise just last year</a>.</li>
 <li>The transaction for the Lakers reflects the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/business/dealbook/lakers-deal-kushner-iger-walter.html?searchResultPosition=18" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">huge profit potential of major sports franchises</a>.</li>
</ul>
Photo: The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily" rel="noopener noreferrer">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 
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