Will Jeff Bezos and Jay-Z really buy the Washington Commanders?

An unexpected sale with even more unexpected bidders

Dan and Tanya Snyder, the owners of the Washington Commanders, have spread shockwaves across the NFL community with a move toward a potential sale of their beloved football team. And now, to make it even more shocking, Jeff Bezos and rapper Jay-Z have thrown their names in as potential buyers.

Where do we begin?

Let’s start at the beginning! Forbes reported on November 2nd, 2022 that Snyder and his wife had hired Bank of America to represent a sale of the hugely historic NFL team.

A big purchase in 1999

Snyder bought the NFL team in 1999, then the Washington Redskins, for a record $750 million dollars at the time.

100% stake in the business

After a long back and forth with minority owners, Snyder and his wife Tanya bought out majority control of the team in 2021, owning a 100% stake in the franchise.

The highest-valued team in the NFL

Forbes recently valued the NFL team at $5.6 billion, the highest-valued NFL team in the league. Second is the recently purchased Denver Broncos at $4.65 billion.

A big u-turn for Snyder

Talks of a sale are a big u-turn for owners Snyder and his wife, who said they never wanted to sell their team. Even as recently as this October, Snyder’s representative responded to comments of a sale by Colts owner Jim Irsay, with: “They won’t [sell].”

Plagued in scandals and controversy

The franchise has been plagued with scandal and controversy for years, from league investigations to congressional hearings, sexual misconduct, and accounting improprieties.

Very toxic and far short of NFL values

The Washington Post reported that Lisa Friel, the NFL league’s special counsel for investigations, called Snyder’s club: “very toxic and fell far short of the NFL’s values.”

Changing names

The Washingon Post reported public fallouts from indecision over changing the name of the team, the Washington Redskins, seen as a slur. Snyder refused a rebrand, eventually caving in 2020, but denying an immediate name change.

Slip of the tongue

The team ended its 2020-21 season without a new name. But in February 2021, their new name was finally revealed, the Washington Commanders, one day after legendary Joe Theismann let the name slip during a radio interview.

A declining image

Further scandals continued following the team, including inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct, followed by front-office resignations. The club’s image was continuing to decline.

A plea for better leadership

WTOP news, a local Washington news station reported a fan saying: “I just want to see better leadership from the top, again, because then I will actually start going to games.”

Do we have a bidder?

With news of the potential sale, rumors began swirling as to who would be putting in bids. Initially, Jeff Bezos was the number one choice as the buyer. But then, an unexpected co-bidder joined the table… rapper Jay-Z.

A possible joint venture

While neither Bezos or Jay-Z have responded with comments, CNN reports that “the two are in talks on a possible joint venture.”

Former collaborations of Amazon, the NFL, and Jay-Z

CNN reports that in 2019, Jay-Z and the NFL partnered up for a social justice initiative, while Amazon entered into a lucrative NFL partnership for streaming services.

The clock is ticking…

There appears to be great potential for a co-ownership between Bezos and Jay-Z, as well as a great opportunity for change in this historic franchise. Only time will tell what will happen, so we will have to wait patiently as the clock runs out.