Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder is making progress towards selling the franchise with a record-setting sale that will have lasting implications for the NFL and the team. It could also bring an end to FedEx Field.
Snyder seemed to be making progress on building a new stadium, but those efforts came to a halt in 2022. Facing allegations of sexual assault, harassment and financial misconduct, he lost the necessary political support for a stadium deal to move forward. With Washington’s NFL franchise expected to have new ownership in 2022, though, replacing the Commanders’ stadium would become a realistic possibility.
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D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser indicated in November that local officials would be willing to offer far more support for a new stadium if Snyder was out of the picture. Of the original objections raised over the previous stadium deal, Snyder’s involvement was one of the biggest problems.
The Commanders are expected to sell for at least $7 billion, blowing past the $4.65 billion price tag that landed the Denver Broncos earlier this year. After paying that record-setting sum, the next owner will likely have to prepare for another costly purchase.
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According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the next Commanders’ owner will need to have an additional $1 billion in funds ready to cover a majority of the costs for a new stadium.
While the report doesn’t point to any specific bidder becoming the favorite, it does make it more likely that Jeff Bezos comes out on top of the bidding war. He could easily afford to pay $8 billion for the Commanders, the NFL franchise he has wanted for years. Once the deal went through, he would still have more than enough liquid capital to fund a new stadium.
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When all the details are finalized, this will be the largest deal in the history of professional sports. a $7 billion sale of the Commanders’ franchise alone would be the most money ever spent on a team. Add on the $1 billion to build a new stadium and it could have lasting impacts on the future of NFL franchise sales with an even bigger impact on Washington’s long-term outlook.