PAULSON: Sports is a tough business for ROI, but the returns to the community can be ample.

Photo by L.E. BASKOW/Portland Tribune

Merritt Paulson (MBA ’00), owner of the minor league Portland Beavers Triple-A baseball team and the United Soccer League’s Portland Timbers, is thinking about The Show. That’s an interesting development, since according to the Vancouver, Washington, Columbian (June 17, 2008), Paulson never really considered getting into the sports industry after he graduated from HBS. “To maximize return on investment, sports is a pretty tough area to do it,” acknowledged Paulson, who, like other Americans, carries in his wallet a few bills autographed by his dad, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (MBA ’70). “But I felt there were some pretty good opportunities in sports, and when you add the impact you can have on a community, it’s such a unique position.” In that regard, one Portland city council member said, “Everybody is favorably impressed by Merritt and his commitment to the city. You can’t put a dollar figure on that” (Portland Tribune, June 26, 2008).

Portland has only one major league franchise, basketball’s NBA Trail Blazers. But instead of adding a new team in the NFL, NHL, or MLB, Paulson thinks Portland-Vancouver, the 23rd-largest TV market in the country, is most suitable for a Major League Soccer franchise. “You’re talking about one of the best soccer markets in the country and bringing in a league that is really on the rise,” he said.

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