Ball Park is owned by Tyson Foods (the United States, NYSE: TSN), which acquired the brand on 28 August 2014 from Hillshire Brands.[1][2] Before Tyson Foods, Ball Park was owned by Hillshire Brands from 2012 to 2014.[2]
Ball Park franks were created in 1957 for sale at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, and the brand kept the ballpark association as it moved into supermarkets. Its advertising line about the franks plumping when cooked ran for decades. Tyson acquired it with Hillshire Brands in 2014.
Tyson Foods won a bidding contest with Pilgrim's Pride for Hillshire Brands, paying $63 per share in cash. The auction began after Hillshire had itself agreed to buy Pinnacle Foods, an agreement it terminated to accept the Tyson offer.