The $4.65 billion price that a Rob Walton-led group paid for the Denver Broncos last summer is beginning to look like a bargain.
The Broncos had several other suitors last year, including a group led by NBA team owner Josh Harris. Competing groups knew they couldn’t compete with Walmart money, leading to the Walton-Penner family completing a purchase of Denver’s NFL franchise.
Rob Walton is now the majority investor in the Broncos’ six-person ownership group, and the groups that failed to buy the franchise are pursuing other opportunities.
The same Harris-led group that attempted to buy the Broncos now appears to be close to purchasing the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder. NFL Network reported last week that the two sides are “nearing a deal.”
Harris and Co. are expected to pay $6 billion for the Commanders, a significant increase from the $4.65 billion that Walton’s group paid for the Broncos. The Walton-Penner purchase was a record-breaking price paid for an American sports team, soon to be broken by the Commanders sale.
Before the Broncos sale, the previous high paid for an NFL team was David Tepper buying the Carolina Panthers for $2.275 billion in 2018. The price will continue to increase if any other NFL teams go on the market in the coming years.
As prices continue to rise, the Broncos deal will become even more of a bargain buy.
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