Nintendo To Sell Majority Ownership of Seattle Mariners Baseball Team


Nintendo has had a big day of news, and it’s just gotten bigger. The video game company plans to sell its majority ownership of the Seattle Mariners.

Nintendo of America will keep a 10 percent stake in the Mariners, while the remainder of its ownership will be sold to members of First Avenue Entertainment LLLP. Today, we also get the announcement of former Nintendo chairman Howard Lincoln’s retirement as CEO. He will be replaced by former Seattle Supersonics owner John Stanton.

Former Nintendo president and chairman Hiroshi Yamauchi bought the Seattle Mariners in 1992, and Stanton says when “Yamauchi purchased the team, it was with the idea to return to local ownership.” Stanton added, “Today marks the opportunity to do that.”

Stanton also said via the Mariners’ Twitter account that his goal for the Mariners is to win a World Series.

“I believe that the Mariners are well positioned to achieve that goal and it will be my honor to lead the organization,” he said. “I want to thank Howard for his leadership for the last 17 years and thank the members of the board and ownership for giving me this opportunity.”

In other Nintendo-related news, the company announced that its upcoming console, the NX, will launch in March 2017. It was also revealed that the next Legend of Zelda game will come to NX in addition to Wii U the same month.