Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and executive chair, may be exploring bidding on the National Football League's current most available team.
A source close to Bezos said the billionaire is "looking into buying the Washington Commanders." Current owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced Nov. 2 that they were exploring options to sell a whole or partial stake in the team.
The source told People magazine that Jay-Z may also be interested and that Bezos' bid for the team could be coming "possibly in partnership" with the rapper and producer, who previously owned a stake in the Brooklyn Nets professional basketball team.
Back in 2019, it was reported that Bezos was interested in becoming an owner of an NFL team. The league was receptive, the magazine said, but at the time there were no teams for sale.
Twitter Reacts to the Speculation
Social media users understandably have thoughts, questions and opinions about a potential deal. Here are some samples from Twitter.
"Who wants to be a Minority owner of the Washington Commanders? I’m down to pay for a stake in the team and bring 10 fans along for the ride," announces former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III.
"Why would someone with Jeff Bezos' money partner with anyone for the purchase?" asks @AllenSi26102574.
User @Barstooldmv provides an idea of what it might look like for Commanders fans if a deal with Bezos is struck.
"He needs a partner? This guy can buy the Commanders with his lunch money," asserts @Dbl11DwnDFS.
"As a Lifetime DC sports fan I don’t feel comfortable with the guy who’s company has a deal to stream nfl games owning our team… but with that said it would still be a massive upgrade from what we got currently," writes @sacredsacrifice.
The Current Owners and the League Look Ahead
Dan and Tanya Snyder, the current owners, said stability in the franchise is important to them going forward.
"The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL," their statement said.
When asked by NFL Network's Ian Rapaport if the Snyders are considering a sale of all are just part of team, a Commanders spokesperson told him "we are exploring all options," according to NFL.com.
As far as the process ahead, the NFL clarified, in part, the final step to approving any deal.
"Any potential transaction would have to be presented to the NFL Finance Committee for review and require an affirmative vote by three quarters of the full membership (24 of 32 teams)," league spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a statement Nov. 2.
In its 2022 NFL Franchise Valuations Ranking, Sportico ranks the Commanders number eight of the NFL's 32 franchises with an estimated valuation of $4.78 billion.
The number one team in Sportico's evaluation is the Dallas Cowboys, estimated to be worth $7.64 billion. Numbers two and three are the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots, at $5.91 and $5.88 billion respectively.
The team with the lowest estimated current value, according to Sportico, is the Cincinnati Bengals at $2.84 billion.
