[5] In 2000, Werner, Carsey and longtime partner Caryn Mandabach joined Oprah Winfrey to start Oxygen, a 24-hour cable channel which catered to the lifestyle and entertainment interests of the "millennial woman".
[7] Werner's entry into sports team ownership came when he and 14 other Southern California-based investors purchased the San Diego Padres from McDonald's heiress Joan Kroc for US$75 million on June 14, 1990.
[9] It was a difficult period economically in Major League Baseball, which was riven by the financial disparity between small- and large-market franchises and ultimately cancelled the 1994 World Series because of a work stoppage that carried into the following season.
[10] Werner was appointed to Major League Baseball's Executive Council and was chairman of MLB's television negotiating committee, where he was an early proponent of the wild-card format that was first implemented in 1995.
[11] Just under six weeks into his new ownership role, he attempted to cross-promote the team with one of his television series in between games of a twi-night doubleheader versus the Cincinnati Reds at Jack Murphy Stadium on July 25, 1990.
He had invited Roseanne Barr, the eponymous star of one of his sitcoms, to perform The Star-Spangled Banner on an evening billed as Working Women's Night at the ballpark.
"[12][13] The Padres missed capturing the National League (NL) West title by three games in 1989, a year prior to the start of Werner's tenure.
[12] After a pair of winning seasons with third-place finishes in 1991 and 1992,[14] the team fell precipitously into the NL West cellar at 61–101 in 1993, six games behind the expansion Colorado Rockies.
In the offseason, Randy Myers and Benito Santiago were allowed to become free agents, Tony Fernández and Mike Maddux were dealt to the New York Mets and Jerald Clark was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft.
[19] Werner returned to baseball in 2001, part of a group that included former Orioles and Padres CEO Larry Lucchino and Florida Marlins owner John W. Henry which made a successful bid to purchase the Boston Red Sox.
[20] Henry served as principal owner, Werner was named chairman and Lucchino became club president and CEO, a collaboration that generated a historic level of success.
"[24] In 2010, the ownership group of Henry, Lucchino, and Werner bought Premier League team Liverpool from lawyers acting on behalf of the Royal Bank of Scotland, the lenders to former owners George N. Gillett, Jr. and Tom Hicks.
[27][28][29] Rodgers was sacked just over a year later, after failing to qualify for the Champions League a second time, due partially to the sale of Luiz Suarez to Barcelona, and a disappointing start to the subsequent season.
In 2017–18, despite the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona mid-season, Liverpool reached the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final which was their first time in eleven years.
[36] In 2008, Werner was involved in the creation of the Home Base Program, a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital to help veterans and their families cope with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
[38] In January 2013, Werner received the Dave Winfield Humanitarian Award from the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation at the organization's annual "In the Spirit of the Game" Sports and Entertainment Spectacular.
[39] On October 30, 2014, Werner received the "Outstanding Civilian Service Award" from the United States Army for his creation of the Home Base Program.