The New York Knicks have won their first NBA championship since 1973, ending a 53-year drought and raising the question of whether to buy Madison Square Garden Sports or Madison Square Garden Entertainment stock. Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the Knicks and the NHL's New York Rangers, offers direct exposure to the franchise's value, which Forbes recently ranked as the sixth most valuable professional sports team globally at $9.75 billion. Madison Square Garden Entertainment owns venues including Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and the Beacon Theatre, and may see indirect benefits from heightened visibility and event demand. Both stocks have risen around 40% year to date, outperforming the S&P 500's 8% gain, but MSGE trades at a lower valuation of under 3 times forward sales compared to MSGS at roughly 8 times forward sales. Zacks Investment Research rates both stocks a Hold, suggesting much of the championship upside may already be priced in.
Madison Square Garden Sports CorpOwns the Knicks; championship may boost franchise value but upside may be priced in.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment CorpMay see indirect benefits from heightened visibility and event demand after Knicks championship.