The Washington Commanders' new Commander in Chief

It’s still April, but Christmas might have come early for Washington football fans. A group led by Josh Harris, who owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, has agreed in principle to buy the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion, multiple sources reported yesterday.

If confirmed, the deal would end the tenure of longtime Commanders owner Dan Snyder, who has been plagued by a number of scandals leading to investigations from the NFL, Congress, and other government agencies. (*Josh Harris bursts through wall like the Kool-Aid Man, “there’s a new Commander in town!”*)

It would also set a new record for the most-expensive sports franchise ever sold, eclipsing the $4.65 billion price tag that Walmart heir Rob Walton paid last August for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

📈 Zoom out: Much like Troy and Gabriella in High School Musical, American sports franchise values over the past few years have been soooaaarrrrrinn’. Some examples:

• Since 1996, the average NHL team has seen its value go up by 1,112%.
• From 2012 to 2021, the average NBA franchise appreciated 387%.
• From 2014 to 2022, the average value of a NFL franchise more than tripled to reach $4.47 billion.

And the list doesn’t stop there. The franchise fee to join the National Women’s Soccer League was set at between $2 million and $5 million in 2021 – but this year, that figure jumped to $50 million (and was paid by groups in both San Francisco and Boston).