...Labor Peace: The four major professional leagues, the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) have long-term collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in place with their respective player unions, which provide lengthy periods of labor stability. Stable Game-Day Attendance: Game-day attendance across the leagues remained stable for the 2014-2015 seasons despite tepid economic conditions. MLB continues to track with expectations through the first half of the 2015 season. Fitch Ratings does not anticipate a dramatic drop in attendance; however, certain teams will be affected by on-field performance and local economic conditions. National TV Contracts Provide Stability: All four professional U.S. leagues have large long- term national television broadcast and cable contracts that provide significant collateral to league-level borrowing programs and significant revenues for franchise operations. Local...
