Celebrities and Football? Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z Express Interest in Purchasing the Commanders
Dan Snyder, the owner of the Washington Commanders, has been in the news recently for mainly the wrong reasons, with topics ranging from sexual harassment allegations, pressuring and spying on other NFL owners, and getting criticized for the Commandersβ poor performance. However, he has been getting a lot of positive attention with the most recent news: his announcement regarding a potential sale of the team. He hired Bank of America Securities on Nov. 2, which mainly deals with the finances of sports teams, to explore the sale and manage offers.
Although the team has not officially been listed for sale, billionaires Jay Z and Jeff Bezos have each expressed interest in buying the Commanders. While it may seem random, Bezos has a big streaming deal with the NFL through Amazon, and Jay-Z has been in the sports industry for a while. He owns part of the Brooklyn Nets and runs a company, Roc Nation, which represents and supports several athletes, including many NFL players such as Kyler Murray, Saquon Barkley, and Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. He also has a partnership with the NFL through this company, regarding the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative, which focuses on activism and social justice (WTOP).
Another factor for Jeff Bezos possibly buying the team could be the fact that there is an Amazon headquarters being built in Arlington, Virginia, close by to where Washington plays. He also owns the Washington Post. On the other side, Jay Z brings some experience with his partial ownership of an NBA team.
Amid these talks, DC Attorney General sued Dan Snyder, the Commanders, the NFL, and the commissioner, Roger Goodell on Thursday, Nov. 10, for fostering a “toxic workplace culture,” (CNN) and the fact that the NFL and the Commanders were lying about and hiding their sexual harassment allegations, to protect their money and status.
Fans are pretty excited about Snyder’s departure, as they have been upset with the team’s performance over the last 23 years, and are hopeful ownership will switch soon.
While these speculations and potential offers are exciting to the Commanders and their fans, we still do not know what Snyder’s decision will be. It is possible that he sells only part of the team to regain some of the money he had originally spent. After all, these are still rumors and neither Jay Z, Jeff Bezos, nor Dan Snyder has revealed any information on an impending transaction.