Mike Dee

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Dee was an avid sports fan growing up, following the Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Colts, Washington Bullets (now Wizards), and University of Maryland basketball. He attended Franklin and Marshall College (F&M) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, earning a degree in Government while playing collegiate basketball. Dee is a member of Sigma Pi fraternity and remains active in philanthropic initiatives. He previously served as chairman of the Pan-Mass Challenge, where he helped raise over $1 billion for cancer research.

Dee began his career with the San Diego Padres in 1995 as Director of Corporate Development, later becoming Senior Vice President of Business Affairs under Larry Lucchino. He played a key role in the financial planning and construction of Petco Park, positioning it as a major economic driver for San Diego.{{cite news |last=Center |first=Bill |url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/jul/17/mlb-padres-president-mike-dee-miami-dolphins/ |title=Mike Dee returns as Padres President, CEO |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=July 17, 2013}} Dee also led the creation of Channel 4 Padres, a regional sports network in partnership with Cox Communications, which became a significant media revenue stream for the franchise.

When Lucchino joined the John W. Henry and Tom Werner-led ownership group to acquire the Boston Red Sox, Dee followed as part of the new leadership team. As chief operating officer (COO), Dee helped transform the Red Sox into a financial powerhouse, setting franchise revenue and attendance records for seven consecutive years.{{cite web |last1=Helyar |first1=John |title=Red Sox go where other LCS teams can't – to the revenue races |url=https://www.espn.com.au/mlb/news/story?id=3064537 |website=ESPN.com}}

During his tenure, he oversaw:

• Two World Series titles (2004, 2007), breaking the Red Sox’s 86-year championship drought.
• The longest sellout streak in MLB history, significantly increasing ticket and sponsorship revenue.
• A $78 million, 30-year partnership with Lee County, Florida, to build JetBlue Park,{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Glenn |url=http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/A4/20090429/SPORTS/90429009&template=printart |title=Watermen-Pinnacle site chosen as new Red Sox spring training home |work=[www.tallahassee.com] |date=April 29, 2009}} securing the Red Sox’s spring training home.
• Expansion of the Red Sox brand globally, including international partnerships and digital media rights.

As president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Dee played a key role in diversifying the Red Sox’s business interests beyond baseball. He led the acquisition of a 50% stake in Roush Fenway Racing, helping Matt Kenseth win the Daytona 500 in 2009. Dee also spearheaded a landmark 10-year radio partnership with Entercom Communications,{{cite web |last1=Talcott |first1=Sasha |title=Sox Games to be split between WRKO, WEEI in radio accord |url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2006/05/09/sox_games_to_be_split_between_wrko_weei_in_radio_accord/ |website=Boston Globe}} laying the foundation for his later media ventures.

In 2009, Dee was appointed CEO of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) by owner Stephen M. Ross. His leadership redefined the Dolphins' business operations, including:

• A lucrative stadium naming-rights deal with Sun Life Financial, making the venue a hub for major events like Super Bowl XLIV, the BCS National Championship, and WrestleMania XXVIII.
• A proposed stadium renovation plan, backed by the Florida Senate, though ultimately blocked in the House.{{cite web |last1=Nogle |first1=Kevin |title=Dolphins, Miami-Dade County Reach Stadium Financing Agreement |url=https://www.thephinsider.com/2013/4/9/4203640/dolphins-miami-dade-county-reach-stadium-financing-agreement}}{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Brian |title=Did Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford's Political Future Kill Dolphins Bill? |url=https://phinphanatic.com/2013/05/12/did-florida-house-speaker-will-weatherford-torpedo-dolphins-bill/}}
• Strengthening the team’s community engagement and alumni relations, including creating the [https://dolphinscancerchallenge.com/ Dolphins Cycling Challenge], now Florida’s largest athletic fundraising event.{{cite web |title=Miami Dolphins launch 'Dolphins Cycling Challenge' at Sun Life Stadium |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/fl-xpm-2011-10-19-fl-societyse-dcc-1019-20111019-story.html |publisher=South Florida Sun Sentinel}}

Dee returned to the San Diego Padres as CEO and president in 2013,{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9485483/mike-dee-bolts-miami-dolphins-take-san-diego-padres-ceo-job |title=Mike Dee bolts Miami Dolphins to take San Diego Padres CEO job |work=ESPN.com |date=July 17, 2013}} tasked with revitalizing the organization. Under his leadership, the team saw significant revenue growth, thanks to:

• A multi-year, $50M+ renovation of Petco Park, which earned recognition as MLB’s top ballpark.{{cite web |last1=Berg |first1=Ted |title=San Diego's Petco Park is the best ballpark in baseball |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/07/san-diego-petco-park-best-stadium |website=USA Today}}
• Winning the bid to host the 2016 MLB All-Star Game,{{cite web |title=MLB awards the 2016 All-Star Game to the San Diego Padres |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-awards-the-2016-all-star-game-to-the-san-diego-padres/c-106510552 |website=MLB.com}}

• Overhauling baseball operations by hiring A.J. Preller as GM,{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Bryce |title=The day the direction of the Padres changed |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/sdut-padres-mike-dee-hired-preller-2016mar21-story.html |website=San Diego Union Tribune}} leading to a major rebuilding effort, securing future stars like Fernando Tatis, Jr.
• A record $90M investment in international player acquisitions.

Dee departed the Padres in 2016 as the franchise's long-term rebuild gained momentum, laying the foundation for the team’s resurgence in the 2020s.

In 2017, Dee transitioned into media, joining Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications) as president of Sports.[https://entercom.com/press/entercom-names-mike-dee-president-entercom-sports/ "Entercom Names Mike Dee as President of Entercom Sports"], 2 May 2017 (retrieved 7 September 2018).[https://entercom.com/about/leadership/mike-dee/ Entercom leadership profile for Mike Dee] (retrieved 7 September 2018) Overseeing 40+ professional and collegiate play-by-play partnerships, he played a key role in scaling Audacy’s sports media business. His leadership included:

• Launching RADIO.COM Sports,{{cite web |last1=Everett |first1=Seth |title=Entercom Launches Radio.com Sports |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/setheverett/2019/02/22/entercom-launches-radio-com-sports/#34b524981068 |website=Forbes}} an integrated digital audio platform.{{cite web |last1=Ourand |first1=John |title=Entercom Details Strategy for Radio.com Sports |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2019/02/11/Media/Radio.aspx |website=Sports Business Journal}}
• Expanding sports betting partnerships, securing record-setting 9 figure, long term ad deals with FanDuel and BetMGM.{{cite web |title=Entercom and FanDuel Announce Strategic Landmark Partnership |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201029005393/en/%C2%A0Entercom-and-FanDuel-Announce-Landmark-Strategic-Partnership |website=businesswire.com |publisher=Business Wire}} As part of this movement, he created the show You Better You Bet, hiring an unknown talent at the time, Nick Kostos to lead the show. YBYB has now become one of the biggest sports betting franchises in sports audio with Kostos now widely regarded as the top sports betting personality in audio.
• Leading the acquisition of [https://qlgaminggroup.com QL Gaming Group], enhancing Audacy’s data-driven sports betting capabilities.{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Chris |title=Entercom Communications Acquires QL Gaming Group in $32M Deal |url=https://sbcamericas.com/2020/11/10/entercom-communications-acquires-ql-gaming-group-in-32m-deal/ |website=SBC Americas}}

After leaving Audacy, Dee co-founded [https://www.pickle4.com Pickleball 4 America], serving as CEO and leading the acquisition of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. Under his leadership:

• Pickleball 4 America merged with Spirit Promotions, solidifying its position in the sport.
• He secured a long term agreement with Collier County, FL creating the [https://www.usopnationalpickleballcenter.com USOP National Pickleball Center], the largest and busiest pickleball facility in the world.
• The US Open Pickleball Championships expanded, reinforcing its status as one of the sport’s premier global events.

In January 2025, Dee was named president of [https://www.deutschfamily.com Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits], overseeing the company's continued expansion, including Josh Cellars, Yellowtail, [https://www.thecallingwine.com The Calling], [https://www.redemptionwhiskey.com Redemption Whiskey], [https://www.graywhalegin.com Gray Whale Gin] and [https://www.canteranegra.com Cantera Negra Tequila].

Dee has been a supporter of cancer research, serving as chairman of the Pan-Mass Challenge, which has raised over $1 billion.{{cite web |last1=Bailey |first1=Melissa |title=How the Pan-Mass Challenge Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Cancer |url=https://www.statnews.com/2015/11/23/pan-mass-challenge-cancer/ |website=Stat News}}

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[https://www.pickle4.com Official homepage of Pickleball 4 America]

{{San Diego Padres Presidents}}

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Category:Living people

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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

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