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Atlanta Braves Holdings Inc Class C (BATRK) Risk Analysis
Risk Overview Q3, 2024
Risk Change Over Time
- Technology - Risk 1As we begin transitioning away from services previously provided by Liberty, we may fail to replicate or replace certain functions, systems and infrastructure in a timely fashion, or at all, and may lose benefits from Liberty's global contracts.
Historically, we have received services from Liberty, including through shared services contracts with various third-party service providers. Under the Services Agreement, Liberty has agreed to continue to provide us with certain services and support that were historically provided to us by or through Liberty prior to the Split-Off. The Services Agreement does not continue indefinitely and services provided under the Services Agreement generally terminate at various times specified in the agreement and the schedules thereto. We have begun transitioning away from certain services previously provided under the Services Agreement. For instance, Liberty previously provided some of its executive officers to serve as executive officers of the Company. As previously disclosed, as part of the transition of various general and administrative services provided by Liberty under the Services Agreement, on August 31, 2024, all of the officers of the Company previously provided by Liberty (with limited exceptions) stepped down from their officer positions, and members of the Braves operating team assumed these roles effective as of September 1, 2024. These transitions included appointing a new chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, chief culture officer and executive vice presidents of the Company. We are working to replicate or replace the services, and associated systems and data, and information security and cybersecurity procedures and systems, that we will continue to need in the operation of our business that have been provided by or through Liberty, including those we receive through shared service contracts Liberty has with various third-party providers or through the Services Agreement for applicable transitional periods. As a result, when Liberty ceases to provide these services to us, either as a result of the termination of the Services Agreement or individual services thereunder, our costs of performing or procuring these services or comparable replacement services could increase. In addition, we have historically received certain informal support from Liberty, including communications, technical support, market intelligence and market data, which may not be addressed in our transition plans. The level of this informal support may be eliminated following the termination of the Services Agreement. Furthermore, in connection with our efforts to replicate or replace these services, certain third-party systems we are using may have imbedded risks such as cybersecurity susceptibility that we may not be able to resolve effectively or efficiently. As a result, we may need to purchase comparable replacement services on less favorable commercial and legal terms, and the cessation of such services could result in service interruptions and divert management attention from other aspects of our operations, including ongoing efforts to implement technological developments and innovations. We are also making infrastructure investments and hiring additional employees to operate without the same access to Liberty's existing operational and administrative infrastructure. We have established or expanded our own tax, treasury, internal audit, accounting, investor relations, cybersecurity, corporate governance and listed company compliance and other corporate functions. Due to the scope and complexity of the underlying projects relative to these efforts, we have been incurring and expect to continue to incur one-time costs to replicate, or outsource from other providers, these corporate functions to replace the corporate services that Liberty historically provided us prior to the Split-Off and under the Services Agreement. The amount of total costs could be materially higher than our estimate, and the timing of the incurrence of these costs may be subject to change. II-1
Risk Highlights Q3, 2024
Risk Word Cloud
Risk Factors Full Breakdown - Total Risks 45
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 1Our multi-series voting structure may limit your ability to influence corporate matters and future issuances of BATRB may further dilute voting power of shares of BATRA.
Our common stock is divided into three series of common stock: BATRA, BATRB and BATRK. Holders of record of BATRA are entitled to one vote for each share of such stock and holders of record of BATRB are entitled to ten votes for each share of such stock on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Holders of record of BATRK will not be entitled to any voting rights, except as otherwise required by Nevada law. When so required, holders of record of BATRK will be entitled to 1/100th of a vote for each share of such stock. Our restated charter does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors and permits future issuances of BATRA, BATRB and BATRK. Any future issuances of BATRA, BATRB or BATRK may dilute your interest in the Company.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 2The holders of any series of our common stock, or the holders of our common stock as a whole, may not have any remedies if an action by our directors or officers prioritizes other interests or has a disparate effect on our common stock or any series thereof.
Principles of Nevada law and the provisions of our restated charter may protect decisions of our board of directors that weigh interests different from those of the holders of our common stock, or any series thereof, or that have a disparate impact upon holders of any series of our common stock. Under Nevada law, the board of directors has the duty to exercise its powers in good faith and with a view to the interests of the corporation. In doing so, the board of directors may consider all relevant facts, circumstances, contingencies or constituencies, including, without limitation, the interests of the corporation's employees, suppliers, creditors or customers; the economy of the state or the nation; the interests of the community or of society; the long-term or short-term interests of the corporation, including the possibility that these interests may be best served by the continued independence of the corporation; or the long-term or short-term interests of the corporation's stockholders, including the possibility that these interests may be best served by the continued independence of the corporation. Directors may consider or assign weight to the interests of any particular person or group, or to any other relevant facts, circumstances, contingencies or constituencies and are not required to consider, as a dominant factor, the effect of a proposed corporate action upon any particular group or constituency having an interest in the corporation. Under the principles of Nevada law referred to above and the business judgment rule, you may not be successful in challenging these decisions if a majority of our board of directors is disinterested, independent and adequately informed with respect to decisions of the board and acts in good faith and in the honest belief that the board is acting in the best interests of all of our stockholders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 3Our restated charter provides that the Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada shall be the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, and that the federal courts shall be the exclusive forum for claims under the Securities Act; these provisions could limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our restated charter provides that, subject to limited exceptions, the Eighth Judicial District Court of the State of Nevada in Clark County, Nevada (the "Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court") (or if the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court does not have jurisdiction, any other state district court located in the State of Nevada, and if no state district court in the State of Nevada has jurisdiction, any federal court located in the State of Nevada) shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for certain specified types of "internal actions" as defined under Nevada law, including (a) those brought in our name or right or on our behalf; (b) those for or based upon a breach of fiduciary duty against any director, officer, employee or agent of ours in such capacity; (c) those arising pursuant to, or to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of, any provision of the Nevada corporation laws, the articles of incorporation, the bylaws or certain voting agreements or trusts. In addition, our restated charter provides that the federal district courts of the United States shall be, to the fullest extent provided by law, the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act. In addition, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. These choice of forum provisions may otherwise limit a stockholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, employees and agents. Stockholders who do bring a claim in the Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near the State of Nevada. The Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. Similarly, the federal district courts may also reach different judgments in Securities Act cases than state courts. Alternatively, if a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in our restated charter to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 4Our directors and officers are protected from liability for a broad range of actions.
Nevada law has a provision limiting or eliminating the individual liability of both directors and officers unless the articles of incorporation provide for greater liability. A director or officer of a Nevada corporation is not liable unless the presumption that such person acted in good faith, on an informed basis and with a view to the interests of the corporation has been rebutted. In addition, there must be proof both that the act or failure to act constituted a breach of a fiduciary duty as a director or officer and that such breach involved intentional misconduct, fraud or a knowing violation of law. In addition, the Nevada provision permitting limitation of liability applies to both directors and officers and expressly applies to liabilities owed to creditors of the corporation.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 5Our restated charter includes restrictions on the share ownership of our common stock by certain persons, which if triggered would result in an immediate transfer of the applicable number of shares to a trust for the benefit of the applicable transferor. In addition, MLB rules require that any person or group seeking to acquire a controlling interest in us or the Braves must receive the prior approval of MLB. Such limitations and approval requirements may restrict any change of control or business combination opportunities in which our stockholders might receive a premium for shares of our common stock.
To comply with the policies of MLB, our restated charter provides that, subject to certain exceptions: (i) employees of MLB and related entities may not own our common stock, (ii) persons who are owners, stockholders, directors, officers or employees of any MLB Club other than the Braves may not own 5% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock, (iii) no person may own 10% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock and (iv) no person may (A) own 50% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock or (B) have the ability to exercise control over our business affairs unless, in the case of clause (iii) or clause (iv), such person is expressly approved by MLB (which, in the case of clause (iii), includes GAMCO Investors, Inc.) or qualifies as an exempt holder (which includes Gregory B. Maffei, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John C. Malone, or any person approved by MLB as the "control person" of the Braves and certain related persons of each of the foregoing. In the event that a holder attempts to acquire shares of our common stock in violation of these restrictions, the applicable excess shares will automatically be transferred to a trust whereby such shares shall be held for the benefit of the excess share transferor, and subject to the ownership or control thresholds described in the above clauses (ii), (iii) and (iv) which is purported to be breached, such excess shares may be sold for cash, on the open market, in privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, except that to the extent the purported transfer is in violation of clause (iv)(B), then such excess shares that are shares of BATRB will first be converted to shares of BATRA. No assurance can be given that the trust will be able to sell the shares at a price that is equal to or greater than the price paid by the holder. In addition, the holder's right to receive the net proceeds of the sale, as well as any dividends or other distributions to which the holder would otherwise be entitled, will be subject to the holder's compliance with the applicable mechanics included in our restated charter. In addition to the influence Mr. Malone could exercise in respect of his voting power (see "- Factors Relating to our Corporate History and the Split-Off - Mr. Malone owns shares of our common stock representing approximately 47.5% of our aggregate voting power (based on the number of shares of our common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2023), which may be deemed to put him in a position to influence significant corporate actions and may discourage others from initiating a potential change of control transaction that may be beneficial to our stockholders."), the share ownership limitations and MLB approvals required for certain transfers of shares of our common stock, in each case included in our restated charter, may have an anti-takeover effect, potentially discouraging third parties from making proposals for acquisitions of greater than 10% of our common stock or a change of control transaction. In addition, if MLB does not provide approval of a specific transaction, these provisions could prevent a transaction in which holders of our common stock might receive a premium for their shares over the then-prevailing market price or which our board of directors or stockholders might believe to be otherwise in the best interest of us and our stockholders.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 6It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders.
Certain provisions of our restated charter and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of us that a stockholder may consider favorable. These provisions include the following: - (i) no person may own 10% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock and (ii) no person may (A) own 50% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock or (B) have the ability to exercise control over our business affairs unless, in the case of clause (i) or clause (ii), such person is expressly approved by MLB (which, in the case of clause (i), includes GAMCO Investors, Inc.) or qualifies as an exempt person (which includes Gregory B. Maffei, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, John C. Malone, or any person approved by MLB as the "control person" of the Braves and certain related persons of the foregoing, as well as Liberty Media until such time as Liberty Media no longer owns 10% or more of the number of outstanding shares of our common stock without retaining any power, including, without limitation, voting power, with respect to such shares);- authorizing a capital structure with multiple series of common stock: a Series B that entitles the holders to ten votes per share, a Series A that entitles the holders to one vote per share, and a Series C that, except as otherwise required by applicable law, entitles the holders to no voting rights;- classifying our board of directors with staggered three-year terms, which may lengthen the time required to gain control of our board of directors;- limiting who may call special meetings of stockholders;- prohibiting stockholder action by written consent (subject to certain exceptions), thereby requiring stockholder action to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders;- requiring stockholder approval by holders of at least 66?% of our voting power with respect to certain extraordinary matters, such as a merger or consolidation of us, a sale of all or substantially all of our assets or an amendment to our restated charter (except in the event approved by at least 75% of our board of directors);- establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to our board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings; and - the existence of authorized and unissued stock, including "blank check" preferred stock, which could be issued by our board of directors to persons friendly to our then current management, thereby protecting the continuity of our management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of us.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 7For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.
We are classified as an "emerging growth company" under the JOBS Act. As a result, we have reduced Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance requirements, as discussed elsewhere, for as long as we are an emerging growth company, which may be up to five full fiscal years. Unlike other public companies, we will not be required to, among other things, (i) comply with certain audit-related requirements that we would otherwise be subject to but for our status as an emerging growth company, (ii) provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies or (iii) hold non-binding advisory votes on executive compensation. To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies. If some investors find our common stock to be less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 8Our multi-series structure may depress the trading price of the shares of our common stock.
Our multi-series structure may result in a lower or more volatile market price of the shares of our common stock or in adverse publicity or other adverse consequences. For example, certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multi-series share structures in certain of their indexes. S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have announced changes to their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500. These changes exclude companies with multiple classes of shares of common stock from being added to these indices. Any such exclusion from indices could result in a less active trading market for, and adversely affect the value of, the shares of our common stock, in part because mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and other investment vehicles that attempt to passively track these indices will not be investing in the shares of our common stock. In addition, several stockholder advisory firms have announced their opposition to the use of multiple-class structures. As a result, the multi-series structure of our common stock may cause stockholder advisory firms to publish negative commentary about our corporate governance practices or otherwise seek to cause us to change our capital structure. Any actions or publications by stockholder advisory firms critical of our corporate governance practices or capital structure could also adversely affect the value of the shares of our common stock.
- Share Price & Shareholder Rights - Risk 9John C. Malone owns shares of our common stock representing approximately 47.5% of our aggregate voting power, which may be deemed to put him in a position to influence significant corporate actions and may discourage others from initiating a potential change of control transaction that may be beneficial to our stockholders.
Mr. Malone beneficially owns shares of our common stock representing the power to direct approximately 47.5% of the aggregate voting power of our common stock. We and Mr. Malone have not entered into any arrangements that prohibit or limit his ability to acquire additional shares of our common stock, and therefore Mr. Malone could acquire beneficial ownership of (x) 496,192 additional shares of BATRA or (y) 32,244 additional shares of BATRB (which represents all of the outstanding shares of BATRB that were not owned by Mr. Malone as of immediately following the Split-Off) and 173,752 additional shares of BATRA to control approval of general matters submitted to shareholders for approval, pursuant to which holders of shares of BATRA and BATRB would vote together as a single class. Mr. Malone may continue to be deemed to be in a position to influence significant corporate actions, including corporate transactions such as mergers, business combinations or dispositions of assets. This concentration of ownership could discourage others from initiating any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transaction that may otherwise be beneficial to our stockholders.
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