Hours after announcing its plans to release a new console in 2017, Nintendo is stepping away from its majority ownership of the Seattle Mariners after 24 years, the team announced Wednesday.
The Mariners announced the decision on their Twitter account hours before Seattle takes on the Houston Astros. According to the team, Nintendo will retain 10 percent of the franchise while selling the rest to the current ownership group.
Nintendo of America plans to sell a majority of its interest in the #Mariners to other members of the current ownership group.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 27, 2016
Nintendo of America will retain a 10% stake in the team. Remainder of its holdings sold to other members of First Avenue Entertainment LLLP.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 27, 2016
To go along with the ownership shakeup, the Mariners also announced CEO Howard Lincoln will retire and will be replaced by former Seattle SuperSonics minority owner John Stanton. Stanton will take over the day-to-day operations of the team.
#Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln will retire from day-to-day operations, and John Stanton will replace him as Chairman and CEO.
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 27, 2016
In the early part of 2016, Seattle has managed to find itself in first place in the American League West with an 11-9 record, ahead of 2015 playoff teams Texas and Houston. The Mariners currently have the longest postseason drought in baseball, not having reached the Postseason since 2001.
Nintendo, meanwhile, ends its time with the Mariners while trying to make up for the struggling sales of the Wii U. Following everyone and their mother buying the Wii when it came out, Americans decided the Wii U was nowhere near as fun as killing your friends in virtual tennis. Nintendo will release its newest console, the NX, sometime in 2017.
