A media mogul, radio chairman and professional sports investor is set to take the reins of one of Major League Soccer’s founding clubs in a significant ownership transition.
Heath Freeman will acquire the San Jose Earthquakes and their home ground, PayPal Park, from John Fisher and Partners, the club confirmed on Friday.
The MLS Board of Governors voted unanimously to approve the deal, with the transaction expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, though financial terms were not revealed.
Freeman, a founding member of investment firm Alden Global Capital LLC and its president since 2014, brings a sweeping portfolio of media and sports assets to his new role.
He chairs Tribune Enterprises LLC, which controls major newspapers including The Chicago Tribune, and also serves as vice chairman of MNG Enterprises, publisher of titles such as The Denver Post and The Boston Herald.
His broadcast reach extends further still, with Freeman chairing Cumulus Media, described as the third-largest radio business in the United States.
On the sports side, he already holds roles as managing partner of the Florida Freedom in the Professional Bull Riders circuit and as Executive Chairman of the AVP, the country’s leading beach volleyball league.
Freeman set out his ambitions plainly, saying: “Our vision is simple – winning on and off the field for San Jose and the entire region.”
He will now represent the Earthquakes on the MLS Board of Governors as the club’s new principal owner, stepping into a position vacated by Fisher after nearly two decades in charge.
Fisher’s tenure, which began in 2007 alongside Lew Wolff when they revived the club from a two-year absence, leaves behind a substantial legacy at PayPal Park and beyond.
He privately funded construction of the stadium, which earned the Product Innovation of the Year honour at the Stadium Business Awards as MLS’s first cloud-enabled venue.
The Earthquakes also captured the 2012 Supporters’ Shield under Fisher’s ownership and reached the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on six occasions during his stewardship.
Fisher reflected warmly on his time with the club, saying: “My family and I have loved owning this club for almost 20 years and we are extremely grateful for the support of our amazing fans as well as the hard work of all of our coaches, players and staff.”
MLS Commissioner Don Garber praised both the outgoing and incoming owners, welcoming Freeman as “an ambitious owner with a strong belief in the Earthquakes and the Bay Area as one of the country’s great soccer markets.”
The Earthquakes, who trace their roots back to the North American Soccer League before becoming a founding MLS member in 1996, enter this new chapter with Freeman pledging to take the club to what he called “unforeseen heights.”
