# LB Halos Media Kit *A fan-led campaign to bring an MLB franchise to Long Beach, California* --- ## Fact Sheet **The news hook** Kroenke Sports & Entertainment reached a definitive agreement on September 1, 2026 to buy a controlling interest in the Los Angeles Angels from longtime owner Arte Moreno, in a deal reported at roughly $4 billion — an MLB record, surpassing the $3.9 billion Padres sale. The transaction is expected to close in early 2027, pending MLB approval. The Angels remain contractually committed to Anaheim through 2029. **Why Long Beach** - 7th-largest city in California, population approximately 458,000 (2026 estimate) - Located roughly 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, on the Metro A Line (Blue Line), with direct freeway access via the 405, 710, and 605 - Approximately 43 acres of undeveloped city-controlled land surrounds the Queen Mary, sitting at the terminus of I-710 — a site the city has spent a decade trying to redevelop, most recently formalizing a land-and-funding deal with the Port of Long Beach in 2023 - Professional baseball returned to Long Beach in 2026 under Mayor Rex Richardson's "Grow Long Beach" initiative. The City Council approved the team unanimously in July 2025, and the Long Beach Coast (Pioneer Baseball League) sold out their first home game at Blair Field on June 2, 2026, drawing 3,108 — evidence of political will and local demand for baseball that the city did not have to manufacture - The city is mid-execution on "Elevate '28," a $1.089 billion, 180+ project infrastructure plan tied to hosting 11 Olympic and 7 Paralympic sports in 2028 — more events than any city outside Los Angeles proper. This is not stadium funding, but it is a live demonstration that Long Beach can deliver major venue and infrastructure projects on a hard deadline - Existing large-event infrastructure: Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, the Queen Mary waterfront district, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Long Beach Arena - No MLB franchise currently located south of downtown LA in the LA/Orange County corridor **On timeline — say this plainly, don't oversell it** The Angels are under contract in Anaheim through 2029; that's the decision deadline, not a target opening year. Based on recent MLB ballpark construction (roughly 2–3 years of building once site, funding, and approvals are locked, following years of planning before that), a realistic earliest opening for a new Long Beach stadium is **2032–2033**. Promising an earlier date to media or officials will cost the campaign credibility — better to be the group that did its homework. **About the campaign** lbhalos.com is an independent, grassroots effort started by Long Beach-area fans. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking on behalf of the Angels, MLB, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, or the City of Long Beach. The campaign's goal is to put Long Beach on the list of cities considered, well ahead of the Angels' 2029 lease expiration in Anaheim. **Campaign contact** [NAME / TITLE — e.g., "John Brahy, Campaign Organizer"] press@lbhalos.com lbhalos.com --- ## Draft Press Release *Use as a starting template — fill in brackets, adjust quotes, and localize before sending.* **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** ### Long Beach Fans Launch Campaign to Bring the Angels — or a Future MLB Team — to the City **LONG BEACH, Calif. — [DATE]** — Following this week's news that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment has agreed to purchase the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno, a group of Long Beach residents has launched LBHalos.com, a campaign urging the team's new ownership — and Major League Baseball more broadly — to consider Long Beach as a future home for the franchise. The Angels remain under contract to play in Anaheim through 2029, but organizers say ownership transitions are exactly when relocation conversations begin, and they don't want Long Beach left off the list by default. "[QUOTE — one or two sentences on why this matters to you personally and to the city. Keep it plainspoken, not promotional.]" said [NAME], one of the campaign's organizers. The campaign points to roughly 43 acres of undeveloped city-controlled land surrounding the Queen Mary — sitting at the end of the I-710 freeway — as a starting point for the conversation, along with the city's Metro A Line connection to downtown Los Angeles and its $1 billion-plus "Elevate '28" infrastructure buildout ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Organizers note the city has already shown appetite for professional baseball: the City Council voted unanimously in July 2025 to bring a professional team to Blair Field under Mayor Rex Richardson's "Grow Long Beach" initiative, and the resulting club, the Long Beach Coast, sold out its first home game there in June 2026. Organizers are collecting signatures at LBHalos.com and plan to share the results with local officials and media as the sale process continues. Organizers are careful to note the timeline: the Angels remain under contract in Anaheim through 2029, and a realistic new-stadium opening, based on recent MLB ballpark construction timelines, would land around 2032 or 2033 at the earliest. Organizers stress the campaign is independent and not affiliated with the Angels, MLB, or Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. **Media Contact:** [NAME] [EMAIL] [PHONE, optional] --- ## Pitch Email Template *For reaching out to local reporters (LB Post, Press-Telegram, LA sports desks, etc.) — keep it short, this is the whole email.* > **Subject: Long Beach fans want the Angels — here's why that's not as crazy as it sounds** > > Hi [Reporter name], > > With Kroenke's purchase of the Angels this week, I wanted to flag something local: a group of us in Long Beach just launched a campaign (LBHalos.com) making the case for Long Beach as a future home for the team once the current Anaheim lease runs out in 2029. > > I know it's early — nothing's decided, the sale hasn't even closed — but ownership changes are exactly when these conversations start, and we didn't want Long Beach left out of it by default. Happy to send over our fact sheet, talk through the case for the city, or connect you with other locals involved. > > Let me know if this is something you'd want to cover. > > [Your name] > [Phone / email] --- ## Key Talking Points - This is a fan-led, grassroots effort — not a political campaign, not affiliated with any team or league. - The ask is modest: put Long Beach on the list of cities considered, nothing more. - The timing is deliberate — the campaign started the same week ownership changed hands, while the story is live. - The Anaheim lease runs through 2029, so this is a multi-year effort, not a demand for an immediate move. - The campaign isn't anti-Anaheim. It's pro-Long Beach. ## Anticipated Questions & Suggested Answers **"Isn't this a long shot?"** Yes — franchise relocations are rare and difficult. That's exactly why the case needs to start being made years in advance, not after a decision is already made. **"Do you have any actual site or stadium plan?"** Not yet — that level of planning would involve the city, the team, and significant capital. This campaign is step one: establishing that there's real public demand worth taking seriously. **"Who's funding this?"** [Answer honestly based on your actual setup — e.g., "This is self-funded by local volunteers" or name any backers.] --- *Everything above is a starting draft. Replace bracketed placeholders, verify all facts and figures before publishing or sending to press, and have a named, reachable contact person before this goes out.*