The sale of the Washington Commanders took another significant step on Friday when the team announced a purchase and sale agreement with an ownership group led by Josh Harris. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network,
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement for the sale of the Commanders franchise with Josh Harris, an area native, and his impressive group of partners,” Tanya and Dan Snyder said in a statement. “We look forward to the speedy completion of this transaction and to the passion and team for years to come.”
Harris, a Washington, D.C. native who also owns the New Jersey Devils and the philadelphia 76ers, reportedly agreed to buy the Commanders for $6 billion. Magic Johnson is also reportedly part of the ownership group. The NFL and team owners still needed to approve the sale before it could take effect.
“Growing up in Chevy Chase [a neighborhood of D.C.]”I experienced firsthand the excitement around the team, which includes three Super Bowl victories and the longstanding winning culture,” Harris said in the statement. We look forward to formal acceptance of our ownership by the NFL in the coming months and to having the honor of serving as responsible and accountable stewards of the Commanders franchise moving forward.
“We look forward to making significant investments on and off the field to run a world-class organization to achieve excellence and make a lasting and positive impact on the community.”
(Disclosure: Josh Harris is co-founder of Apollo Global Management, which owns Yahoo, Inc. He leaves the private equity firm in 2022.)
Legendary former Washington head coach Joe Gibbs also weighed in on news of the deal Friday in a statement of support for Harris, per rapoport,
When the deal is finalized, it will end a tumultuous tenure for Snyder, who reportedly lobbied the league to limit its investigation and release of reports on alleged sexual misconduct against Snyder and the commanders. trying to do. Snyder has been embroiled in a myriad of investigations and controversies since purchasing the team in 1999. Washington also hasn't been great during his time as the team's owner.
Now the team will look for a fresh start with new owners.