Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder, the subject of intense criticism and controversy for years, once claimed he’d never sell the team. Earlier this month, however, the Commanders issued a news release stating Snyder had hired Bank of America to explore a partial or complete sale.
The potential sale came amid additional lawsuits brought against Snyder and the team by the District of Columbia, which claimed that the Commanders’ executive had engaged in deceptive business practices. While this suit’s likelihood of success is uncertain, it’s clear the walls are closing around Snyder.
Not long after news of the potential sale broke, high-profile suitors came forward, the biggest being Jeff Bezos (potentially featuring Jay-Z). While Bezos has remained publicly quiet regarding his interest, several factors weigh in his favor.
First, the decision to move Amazon’s second HQ to the Washington metro area creates a natural connection. Second, Bezos owns the Washington Post, further establishing roots in the area. And lastly, with a fortune near $120 billion, per Forbes, money is no object, and this sale could go through without multiple members or overly complicated financing.
But roadblocks to a potential sale remain.
While Bezos already has connections to the NFL and relationships with many owners through Amazon’s purchase of “Thursday Night Football” rights, it remains unclear how the television deal could complicate his ownership of a franchise.
Additionally, while a sale was originally thought to come in short order (a few months), it’s possible that the lawsuits could prolong the sale well beyond this timeline, making a deal more likely to fall through.
Moreover, while Bezos may have established a home base in the D.C. area, his ties remain much stronger to Seattle. It’s been thought that in the next few years, the Seahawks could become available, and Bezos might prefer the hometown team.
If Bezos opts not to move forward with a deal, others have shown interest in owning an NFL franchise.
Per Bloomberg, media executive Byron Allen has expressed interest in the Commanders and could become the NFL’s first Black majority owner. Josh Harris, owner of the 76ers, unsuccessfully bid on the Broncos, so he might be interested as well.
The Broncos sold for $4.65 billion this past offseason. Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer said the Commanders could command as high as $7 billion.
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