Washington Commanders: Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos interested in buying NFL team together

CNN
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Billionaire businessmen Jay-Z and Jeff Bezos are in talks about a possible joint venture.

The Roc Nation founder and the Amazon founder are exploring a possible joint bid on Washington commanders, two sources with knowledge of the talks told CNN.

It’s unclear if the two have ever spoken with current NFL team owners Dan Snyder and his wife, Tanya, about the possibility.

Earlier Thursday, a source with knowledge of the matter confirmed to CNN that Bezos was considering buying the team.

On Wednesday, the Snyders said they were considering selling the team and hired Bank of America Securities “to consider potential trades.”

When asked for a comment on the Amazon founder’s interest in the team, a spokesperson for Commanders said, “We don’t comment on who has or hasn’t expressed interest.”

CNN has contacted Roc Nation for comment.

The NFL declined to comment when contacted by CNN on Thursday.

The athletic ties between Bezos and Jay-Z run deep.

Jay-Z was previously co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets and his company, Roc Nation Sports, represents several NFL athletes.

In 2019, as Colin Kaepernick’s activism created waves in the sport, Jay-Z and the NFL also teamed up for a social justice initiative to raise awareness of key issues, such as criminal justice reform. , education and economic progress.

Amazon, meanwhile, entered into a lucrative streaming partnership with the NFL this year, which was a win for the company and the league.

Jay Marine, head of sports at Prime Video, wrote in an internal memo in September that the team “exceeded all of our viewership expectations” and led to “the highest three hours of U.S. Prime sign-ups ever.” never recorded in Amazon’s history”. .”

It is unclear how these business relationships would be handled in the event of a potential purchase.

The potential sale of Commanders comes months after a House oversight committee investigating Commanders’ owner accused him of fostering a “toxic workplace” and conducting “a shadow investigation to target his accusers, blaming others and influencing the NFL’s own internal review. .”

An internal investigation by attorney Beth Wilkinson last year resulted in the NFL fining commanders $10 million and Snyder handing over control of the day-to-day operations of the franchise to his wife. Snyder denied the charges.

Lawyers Lisa Banks and Debra Katz, who represent more than 40 former employees accusing Snyder of workplace wrongdoings, in a statement called the possible sale “a good development for the team, its former and current employees and its many fans”.