• Loading stock data...
Monday, June 2, 2025
exclusive
Deals

Washington Commanders Status Check: Sale At Standstill

  • Amid more damaging headlines for owner Dan Snyder, there’s still no timetable on decision.
  • One factor remains whether Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will enter the process.
Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports

The sale of the Washington Commanders remained in a stalemate this week, a lull in activity that came amid more damaging headlines for owner Dan Snyder. 

Sources told Front Office Sports that there are multiple factors as to why the process that just a week ago seemed to be coming to a crescendo has stalled. One source laid out the biggest: Jeff Bezos.

The will-he-or-won’t-he intrigue over when — or even if — the Amazon founder will make a move had led to some paralysis among the others interested in acquiring the Commanders, which have been on the market since November.

One barrier to Bezos — Snyder’s reluctance to sell to him — would be removed if the owners make a clear signal that they’re serious about removal, another source said. It will take 24 owners to agree on removal, something that’s never happened in league history.

The NFL’s next league meeting is scheduled to begin March 26 in Phoenix.

The Commanders have declined comment on the potential sale of the team since it began. In response to this article, the Commanders issued their third response this week over a published report.

“Front Office Sports tonight posted a blatantly false report regarding the ongoing process involving a potential Commanders transaction,” a the statement read. “The Team will continue its efforts to protect the confidentiality and integrity of its process,” Upon the conclusion of the process, the position of the Commanders will be announced by the team. Transactions of this nature are highly confidential, and few people are involved in the inner workings. As such, anonymously sourced stories purporting to be factual should not be believed.”

FOS stands by its reporting.

The other factors for the slow sale process include:

  • The financials for the Commanders that have been reviewed by those interested in acquiring the team paint a fairly bleak picture. The Commanders — which were among the most profitable franchises in the NFL when Snyder purchased the team in 1999 — are at or near the bottom in multiple categories from ticket to merchandise revenue. 
  • The cost of a new stadium is expected to be at least $3 billion. The NFL’s G-4 loan program maxes out at $200 million and without certainty of public financing, so the next owner will have to foot a major chunk of construction.  
  • The NFL’s biggest revenue stream — media rights — are locked in for the next decade, the last coming with YouTubeTV’s deal to take over NFL Sunday Ticket. While they are worth well north of $100 billion, there’s no guarantee about what the TV landscape will look like beyond 2033.

Meanwhile, the recent reports about Snyder haven’t exactly led to confidence in the bidding process.

The Washington Post reported that Snyder was looking for the other owners to pick up the tab for any financial fallout from the multiple ongoing investigations and the two lawsuits filed by the D.C. Attorney General’s office last year. 

A federal investigation that has led to at least one subpoena includes allegations that Snyder obtained a $55 million loan without the knowledge or content of the team’s board of directors, according to ESPN

The Commanders have denied the allegations in both stories. 

The reports coupled with the lengthy sales process have reignited a push to remove Snyder that was paused when the potential sale process began. If Snyder opts to keep the team or if the sale process drags out much longer, sources told FOS that a removal process will certainly gain momentum.

While Bezos entering a bid remains unknown, sources said the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner Josh Harris remains the most likely non-Bezos candidate to acquire the team.

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta entered a bid that The Washington Post reported was slightly more than $5.5 billion.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Hosts of Inside the NBA on TNT
exclusive

Inside ‘Inside the NBA’ Transition to ESPN

Sources say ESPN management will take a hands-off approach to the show.
exclusive

Newly American-Owned Italian Hoops Team Hires Ex-Pelicans Exec as GM

Napoli Basketball is hiring the Pelicans’ former chief of staff as GM.

PSG and the City of Paris Can Join European Soccer’s Elite

What a maiden Champions League title would mean for the French club.

How the Champions League Anthem Took on a Life of Its Own

The composer didn’t know he wrote a timeless hit three decades ago.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.
March 4, 2025

Eagles Make Saquon Barkley NFL’s Highest-Paid Running Back Ever

Barkley is coming off a historic 2024 season with the Eagles.
February 18, 2025

Tiger Woods Signs First PGA Tour Player to Wear Sun Day Red

Karl Vilips will wear Sun Day Red at his season debut at the Mexico Open.
Teammates embrace during matchup in The Hundred cricket league
February 15, 2025

Google, Microsoft, Adobe CEOs Buy Stakes in Cricket League

The England and Wales Cricket Board raised £520m by selling team stakes.