KANSAS CITY -- The Royals restructured their leadership team this week, welcoming Cullen Maxey as the new president of business operations while shifting Brooks Sherman into a new role as president of real estate and development, overseeing the organization’s search for a new ballpark location.
Maxey, whose first day on Monday included an introductory press conference, will oversee all business operations. General manager J.J. Picollo will continue to lead baseball operations.
“We talk about this business being all about talent,” Royals chairman/CEO John Sherman said. “We tend to talk about it in terms of Major League [talent], but talent has to do with the business operations as well. And this is a day that helps change our organization and prepares us for the future.”
Maxey spent the past 20 years in the D-backs’ organization. For the past 16 years as executive vice president of business operations and chief revenue officer, he oversaw all revenue-generating, community impact and fan-facing departments. That’s largely what he’ll do in Kansas City while working side by side with Brooks Sherman on the Royals’ stadium project.
The team has narrowed down its site options to downtown Kansas City, North Kansas City or Overland Park, Kan. The Royals’ lease at the Truman Sports Complex runs through the 2030 season.
“There’s no news to report about our stadium process,” John Sherman said. “These are complex, multi-jurisdictional, public-private partnerships. They always take longer than any of us hope. They really should take a long time. This is a generational decision. But we’ve got to get it right. We’ve got to get it right for our club, for our fans, for the community.”
Maxey called working on the stadium project the “icing” on why he decided to join Kansas City after calling Arizona his home for his entire life. But there was more that stood out.
“It really was the market, the brand, and then it was John,” Maxey said. “Knowing that the goal here was the fan base, giving back to the community, the culture.”
A huge piece of Maxey’s responsibility will be on the broadcast side, with teams and the league figuring out what the future of TV deals will look like in baseball. The Royals will again be broadcast by FanDuel Sports Network in 2026, available on cable and satellite packages and the network’s direct-to-consumer app. But they’ll face the decision again next offseason.
In Arizona, Maxey and his team led the broadcast transition from the regional sports network model to a team-managed multi-platform distribution produced by Major League Baseball.
“The No. 1 pain point for the Diamondbacks at that time was that our fans couldn’t see our games,” Maxey said. “... The opportunity to make that the goal – distribution [and] reach – has been a tremendous success. In Arizona, it was teaming up with Major League Baseball. We didn’t have a partner like FanDuel like we have here. I think we actually have the benefit here of options. FanDuel has followed, learning from some of the mistakes before, a lot of what Arizona has done.
“We’re on linear still, so those who are still consuming in that manner [can continue to], but now direct to consumer. Now you have an opportunity, no matter where you are in our TV [designated market area], you can watch your game. And then testing over the air. Those ingredients are here.”
Maxey emphasized that the D-backs shifted their goal from revenue to ease of access for fans. The Royals, Sherman said, agree with that approach.
“If we expand our reach and our access, we believe the revenue will take care of itself eventually,” Sherman said.
Maxey added: “Revenues can still grow in other ways, particularly if you are competitive. We are competitive here.”
Indeed, it is a business. Diversifying the club’s revenue streams is part of Maxey’s job. TV is part of that, and he’ll oversee ticket sales, merchandise, community impact, corporate partnerships, in-game entertainment and more.
According to Sherman, the D-backs under Maxey’s leadership increased their revenue for 14 consecutive years.
“They took advantage of going to the World Series in ‘23, that always helps,” Sherman said. “But when [he’s] leaving there, revenue is at an all-time high. That just gives you confidence.”
Attendance will be important to that. The Royals’ home attendance in 2025 was an announced 1,748,801, their highest total at Kauffman Stadium since ‘17 (2,220,370) but still the sixth lowest in MLB. Still, they’ve increased home attendance in each of the past five seasons since ‘21.
“People attending our games and experience, that’s the lifeblood of our business and what we do,” Maxey said. “Everything feeds off of attending games. The broadcast – it’s an ad for our product. The easiest way to participate in what the Royals are doing and test out if I want to come to a game or not, is to watch it on television – I shouldn’t even say television. To watch on your device, however you might consume it. … There’s no doubt that feeds in the interest in coming to The K and being part of what is being built here.
“Something magical happens every single night. It seems to usually be at shortstop. But it’s really more than that. We have some amazing young talent here. That’s the best way to tap into it.”