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Josh Harris may have recorded one of the most memorable days in sports ownership history Sunday.
The Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Commanders, and New Jersey Devils owner secured major milestones for two of his three teams.
Earlier in the day, news broke that the 76ers struck a 50-50 deal with Comcast Spectacor to build a new arena in its existing South Philadelphia sports complex that also houses the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles. The new plan abandons the recently approved controversial effort to build a downtown arena in the Chinatown neighborhood. The deal also doubled down on the team and Comcast’s joint interest in bidding for a WNBA franchise. The 76ers formally announced the deal Monday.
Though the downtown arena had support of the mayor and passed Philadelphia City Council with a 12–5 vote, it had a slew of critics from anti-arena demonstrators within the council chamber to Eagles legend Jason Kelce. Many worried the arena would gentrify the Chinatown neighborhood or displace the people who live there. The new arrangement does include plans for a non-sports development at the Chinatown site, but for the most part, the Sixers staying put appears to be the end of a major headache.
Then on Sunday night, Harris became a hero in Washington when the Commanders won a playoff game for the first time in 19 seasons. Washington beat Tampa Bay on a game-winning, doinked-in field goal, sending the team into the divisional round for a Saturday evening matchup against Detroit, the top team in the NFC.
In an interview alongside fellow Commanders owner Magic Johnson after the win, both credited quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn for the rapid turnaround. “Talent, culture, and people,” Harris said twice.
Harris purchased the NFL team for $6.05 billion in 2023 after a scathing league-backed investigation into former owner Dan Snyder found extensive evidence of sexual harassment and financial mismanagement. Snyder was fined $60 million by the league, breaking his own 2021 record of a $10 million fine for an earlier investigation into Washington’s hostile workplace.
Harris, who made his fortune through his private equity firm Apollo Global Management, owns the 76ers and Devils through Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment alongside Blackstone exec David Blitzer. The business partner is part of the Commanders ownership group, but Harris is the controlling owner.
The eventful Sunday comes less than a week after President Joe Biden signed the RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which will transfer the site of the Commanders’ old home from federal to D.C. control on a 99-year lease. Demolition of the old RFK stadium is expected to start this month.
The ownership group privately prefers the RFK site, Front Office Sports previously reported. At the same time, it’s going to cost them. The District has not agreed to any public funding for a new stadium yet, and it’s already shelling out $515 million for Capital One Arena renovations. If the Commanders do eventually reach a deal with D.C., the team will almost certainly be on the hook for a large portion of the new venue—which will cost a lot more than half of the Philly arena.
Harris now has two new venue projects running full steam ahead.
