Arte Moreno agrees to sell Angels to Rams owner Stan Kroenke
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Arte Moreno era with the Los Angeles Angels is nearing its end.
Moreno, who has owned the Angels since 2003, has agreed to sell a controlling interest in the franchise to Stan Kroenke, owner of the Los Angeles Rams, the organizations announced Tuesday morning.
The blockbuster transaction between the Angels and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, pending approval from Major League Baseball.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The agreement represents a potentially dramatic turning point for a franchise that has endured a prolonged stretch of losing despite employing some of baseball’s biggest stars.
Moreno purchased the Angels for $183 million in 2003. The eventual price for his controlling stake could be worth billions. For comparison, the San Diego Padres were sold this summer for $3.9 billion.
“The Angels Organization is pleased to announce this transaction with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment,” Moreno said in a statement. “The Moreno Family has been honored to steward the Angels for 23 years and we believe with KSE’s experience and success they are the best next owner for the franchise.
“The Angels Organization looks forward to continuing its commitment to the fans, our employees, the players and our business partners.”
The deal would add another major professional sports franchise to Kroenke’s expansive portfolio.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment already owns the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, NBA’s Denver Nuggets and NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, along with Premier League powerhouse Arsenal. With the Angels, KSE would control franchises in each of the four major North American professional sports leagues.
Kroenke’s teams have also enjoyed significant championship success. The Rams, Nuggets, Avalanche and Arsenal have each won major titles during KSE’s ownership.
“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke said in the announcement. “We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization.”
Moreno’s departure would close one of the longest and increasingly controversial ownership tenures in Major League Baseball.
When Moreno bought the Angels in 2003, the franchise was fresh off its first World Series championship the previous season. The club initially enjoyed sustained success under his ownership, reaching the postseason five times from 2004 through 2009 and winning five American League West titles during that span.
The past decade, however, has been dramatically different.
The Angels have struggled through an extended postseason drought and repeated losing seasons, generating mounting criticism of Moreno’s leadership and the organization’s baseball operations.
The lack of success has been particularly glaring given the superstar talent that has passed through Anaheim.
The Angels had three-time American League MVP Mike Trout throughout the club’s extended struggles and also employed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani for six seasons before he departed for the Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.
Moreno previously explored selling the franchise in 2022, announcing that the Angels had begun a formal process to evaluate a potential sale. Months later, however, Moreno reversed course and announced that his family would retain ownership.
This time, the Angels say a deal is in place.
If MLB approves the transaction and it closes as expected in early 2027, Kroenke will assume control of one of Southern California’s two Major League Baseball franchises.
For an Angels franchise searching for a way out of a decade of disappointment, including the most loyal fans and those rocking it shirtless in the stadium, Tuesday’s announcement signals that its most consequential change may finally be coming.
