As MLB's only publicly traded team, the Atlanta Braves routinely provide what is otherwise very rare insight into team revenues because they are required to report them. Looking back at most of these revenue announcements has confirmed that building The Battery around Truist Park has been a cash cow for the Braves, but most fans already suspected that to be the case even without the actual facts. However, Atlanta's most recent revenue reveal came with some less-than-ideal concerns.
All in all, the Braves have been making plenty of cash. They had a record year on the mixed-use side of their operations, and their tenants around The Battery just raked in the big bucks. On the whole, revenues went up even though the team "technically" operated at a $14 million loss due to writing down a broadcast contract and other accounting maneuvers. In short, despite a tough 2025 season on the field, the Braves are still very, very healthy.
However, that rosy financial picture hides some potential pitfalls. When talking to the media, Braves chairman Terry McGuirk discussed the ongoing issues with TV broadcast rights in regards to revenue, and it is very clear that the uncertainty on the broadcast side could become a crisis in the not-too-distant future.
Braves' TV ambitions have real upside, but also come with significant risk and potential obstacles
There was plenty of discussion about the Braves' new TV network, BravesVision, and the Braves do seem eager to get that completely off the ground. While light on details, as the Braves still need to get their distribution deals ironed out, what was apparent is that Atlanta won't be making as much as they were under their previous deal, and there is no guarantee whatsoever that BravesVision will be a permanent fixture.
So here is the deal: if launching their own network was the best financial choice for the Braves, they would have done it already. While it is certainly possible that Atlanta could find novel ways to maximize the value of their distribution and advertising deals, that will take time, and they are almost certainly going to be a net-negative in the short term. Combine that with the fact that the Braves don't even seem to know whether or not they will willingly participate in MLB's future bundling of TV rights as well as the team's current debt load, and you have a recipe for disaster.
How this unfolds in the coming weeks and months will be fascinating. You have the Braves launching their own fledgling TV network, trying to recoup their broadcast revenue almost immediately ahead of what are likely to be contentious CBA talks, with TV money expected to be a big talking point. The Braves have been making enough money across the organization to weather the storm so far, but that doesn't mean things won't break in ways that could force the team to revisit its spending and payroll philosophy.