More people have been flocking to see a winning Rangers team this season, and they've been spending more money at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

That could make the team more attractive to potential buyers.

Owner Tom Hicks said recently that he might sell a majority stake in the team after his sports firm, Hicks Sports Group, defaulted in April on a $525 million loan backed by the Rangers and the Stars.

The Rangers were atop the American League West entering Saturday's games. Through 35 home dates, the Rangers' total attendance of 946,572 and average of 27,045 are up 11 percent from a year ago.

Food, beverage and merchandise sales are up as well. Combined with recent staff cuts to trim operating costs, the Rangers have positioned themselves nicely to be sold.

"If you have to sell [a team], a good time to do it is when you're increasing revenue," said Jon Greenberg, executive editor of Team Marketing Report.

"The Rangers are in a pretty good situation right now since they haven't had a successful team the past few years. Hopefully, they can convince [a buyer] that they have built themselves up for the future."

For several years, the Rangers have offered promotions and value packages to draw fans.

Just five years ago, the team attracted 2.5 million fans, but attendance has steadily declined since then to 1.9 million last year.

But winning has reversed the trend. The Rangers have been as many as 11 games over .500 and have led their division by as many as 5 ½ games, sparking the surge in attendance.

"We're very encouraged by the numbers," said Andrew Silverman, executive vice president of ticket sales. "Obviously, people are responding to the team and responding to the values we have."

On Friday nights, the team offers fireworks and $10 tickets for seats that usually cost up to $25, as well as $5 parking.

Silverman added that single-game purchases are up 69 percent this year, and sales of tickets online have been strong. For three out of the last five weeks, the Rangers have sold more single-game tickets online than any other team.

LOUIS DeLUCA / DMN

With owner Tom Hicks (front) willing to sell a majority stake in the Rangers, team president Nolan Ryan says he might want to take a look as part of an investment group.

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Food and beverage sales are up 22 percent and merchandise sales have increased 49 percent compared with the same time last season, said John Blake, the Rangers executive vice president for communications.

"From a game revenue standpoint and ticket standpoint, things are going pretty well," Blake said, adding that the introduction of a red jersey has boosted merchandise sales.

Despite the team's on-field fortunes, Hicks' financial position seems tenuous.

The Dallas businessman bought the Rangers in 1998 for $250 million. In its most recent rankings, Forbes magazine values the team at $405 million, 15th among 30 major league teams.

When Hicks first announced in March that he may sell part of the Rangers or Stars, he intended to sell only a minority stake. Since then, he has said he might sell a majority stake of the Rangers. Hicks said the prospect of owning a majority stake might make the team more attractive to investors.

Team president Nolan Ryan, a Hall of Fame pitcher, has said he might be interested in being part of a group assembled to purchase a stake.

Discussions regarding potential buyers are continuing, a spokesman for Hicks Sports Group said.

In May, Hicks sold the Mesquite Rodeo, for less than $10 million. The Liverpool soccer club, co-owned by Hicks and George Gillett Jr., is trying to refinance $563 million in debt. Hicks and Gillett lost $68.7 million on the club last year.

And Hicks has announced that his special-purpose acquisition company that raised $552 million in a public offering in 2007 may have to shut down in September because it has not been able to close a deal to buy Graham Packaging.

While this is not a good economic time to sell a team, Hicks may have a better shot at luring a buyer because the Rangers are improved financially, said William Maxwell, a finance professor at the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.

Last week, the team let go of several front office staffers – less than 10 percent, the team said – in an effort to be more cost-effective. The player payroll is $68 million this year, down from a high of $111 million when high-priced Alex Rodriguez played for the Rangers.

"Given the fact that [Hicks] needs the cash flow and can't use the cash flow from his other assets to fund the Texas Rangers, they have to fund themselves," Maxwell said. "And clearly, as they continue to win, they can do it."