DeNA just announced [J] that it had submitted an application on acquisition of pro-baseball team Yokohama Bay Stars from current owner Tokyo Broadcasting System(TBS) group to Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB). DeNA is to pay 6.5 billion yen (US$83.3 million) for 66.92% stock of the team, and will pay 3 billion yen (US$38) to NPB when approved.
DeNA’s concern on pro-baseball business has been reported for months. As the deadline of purchase for the next 2012 season is coming close, DeNA seems to give up naming its flagship social gaming network service “Mobage” on the team name, as it is said that current owners opposed it (though many of Japanese team have “company” name on it).
There is no other companies raised hands, as having the pro baseball team in Japan tends to be in the red, many owner companies compensate the deficit in exchange of free promotion on sports news including public TV NHK (which usually do not show specific company names). That free appearances must be what DeNA wanted for selling Mobage to wider population, potential users, though the stock of DeNA has been falling down recently after the baseball things came up.
I expect that the company will rename itself with “Mobage” for the next 2013 season, though they did not want that even when they set the Mobage-Town’s global brand as “Mobage”.
