News Corp.'s Fox Joins Battle to Buy Dodgers

News Corp.'s Fox unit joined the battle to buy the Dodgers, signing a nondisclosure agreement with bankers handling the sale of the storied baseball franchise, according to people with knowledge of the process.

The move formally makes News Corp. a potential bidder for the Los Angeles team, and it is the latest indication that the company, which owned the Dodgers from 1998 to 2004, plans to do whatever it can to hang onto the team's valuable media rights. People familiar with the media conglomerate's strategy say News Corp. doesn't want to reclaim full ownership of the team. Rather, Fox is looking to become a minority investor to improve its chances of keeping the team's television rights. The people say the company is interested in a 15-20% stake and is also offering to use its resources to help finance an acquisition of the team.