Byron Allen Set To Bid On Washington Commanders, Marking 2nd Attempt At NFL Ownership This Year + Jay-Z & Jeff Bezos Show Interest In Purchasing The Team As Well

Byron Allen, Jay-Z, Jeff Bezos

Byron Allen Set To Bid On Washington Commanders, Marking 2nd Attempt At NFL Ownership This Year + Jay-Z & Jeff Bezos Show Interest In Purchasing The Team As Well

It looks like some heavy hitters are gunning to be the next owner of the Washington Commanders!

Byron Allen, the founder, owner, and CEO of Entertainment Studios, also known as the Allen Media Group, is reportedly preparing a bid for the Washington Commanders.

According to reports, if Byron Allen follows through with this bid and it’s accepted, this would make him the first Black NFL owner.

This marks Allen’s second bid at NFL ownership this year. As previously reported,  the media mogul placed a bid on the Denver Broncos earlier this year. However, Denver’s bid was won by a group led by Robert Walton of the Walmart fortune for $4.65 billion.

Byron Allen

Byron Allen isn’t the only one who has his eyes set on the team. According to reports, Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are interested in buying the Washington Commanders as well. Allegedly, the two billionaires are even considering a partnership to increase their chances of winning the bid.

As you may already know, Jay-Z is no stranger to working with the NFL, he signed a partnership deal with the league in 2019, which reportedly gave him power over the halftime show and social justice initiatives.

jeff bezos

Jay-Z

Commanders’ owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced Wednesday (Nov. 2) that they have hired Bank of America to consider a potential franchise sale. Reportedly, it could be for the entire team or a minority stake. According to Forbes, the Commanders are worth an estimated $5.6 billion— a sevenfold increase over the then-record $800 million Snyder paid for the team in 1999. That ranks sixth among the league’s 32 teams and would be more than the $4.65 billion Walmart heir Rob Walton paid for the Denver Broncos earlier this year.

In the statement announcing the decision, the Washington team said,

“The Snyders remain committed to the team, all of its employees and its countless fans to putting the best product on the field and continuing the work to set the gold standard for workplaces in the NFL.”

At this time, it’s unclear how soon a possible sale could happen, however, some sports business experts suggested a year as a reasonable timeframe while others say it could happen pretty fast. League spokesperson Brian McCarthy had this to say,

“Any potential transaction would have to be presented to the NFL Finance Committee for review and require an affirmative vote by three-quarters of the full membership.” 

Byron Allen has been a successful stand-up comedian, television producer, and media executive throughout his career. The media mogul now owns 36 stations in 21 markets, as well as 12 other 24-hour HD networks including The Weather Channel, and free streaming networks like theGrio and Sports.TV.

Allen recently made headlines when he purchased a $100 million mansion in Malibu, making this the biggest home sale for a Black person in the U.S. Reportedly, this $100 million purchase is the most money an African American has ever spent on a home in the United States, with Byron Allen toppling the prior record of $88 million that Beyoncé and Jay-Z spent on their Bel-Air mansion.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

[Source: 1, 2, 3]