Lightning owner buys Storm

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC bought the Tampa Bay Storm, an Arena Football League franchise, for an undisclosed amount today. TBSE, which also owns the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, is run by Jeff Vinik.

Vinik bought the Lightning, along with the leasehold right to the St. Pete Times Forum, in March. He is also invested in some of the real estate adjacent to the Forum.

TBSE's CEO is Tod Leiweke, the former CEO of the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. Leiweke is also a former president of the Minnesota Wild, another NHL franchise.

Today's deal brings the number of professional sports leagues in which Vinik is invested to three, as Vinik is also a minority owner of Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox.