FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Fox Sports owner News Corp. was out as a potential bidder Tuesday as the Texas Rangers baseball team prepared for a bankruptcy auction.
A day before the scheduled auction, a spokesman for Fox Sports Networks issued a statement saying, "Fox will not be submitting a bid for ownership of the Texas Rangers."
With News Corp. sitting out, three likely bidders remained for the rare auction of a major professional sports franchise, including a group favored by Major League Baseball and led by Rangers President Nolan Ryan.
Also in the hunt are Texas businessman Jim Crane and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
The Wall Street Journal reported News Corp. considered entering a bid in order to protect its Fox Sports Southwest regional cable television network, which carries the majority of Rangers games.
The newspaper said Fox Sports executives were concerned that if Cuban won the team he might try to start his own regional sports channel for the Rangers and the Mavericks.
