It looks like a seller’s market for the NFL, and if the owners force Washington Commanders’ owner Dan Snyder to sell his franchise, he could become an even richer man.
An announcement that the Denver Broncos are set to be sold raised questions about how much longer Snyder will hold on to the Washington, D.C., franchise.
An ownership group headed by Walmart heir Rob Walton reached an agreement to purchase the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion this week, marking the most expensive purchase of an NFL franchise in the league’s history. The price also happens to be roughly $750,000,000 more than the team is worth: approximately $3.75 billion, according to a Forbes analysis, making it the 10th-most-valuable franchise in the league.
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By comparison, the Washington Commanders are the fifth-most-valuable franchise in the league, worth a total value of $4.2 billion after the 2021 season, a 20% increase from the year before.
NFL franchise owners are reportedly considering whether to force Snyder to sell the team amid allegations of financial misconduct. The allegations, if proven to be true, may be the final straw for Snyder because the longtime team owner has been under investigation for other improper conduct. The team is under investigation for sexual harassment allegations and claims Snyder had fostered a hostile work environment.
The allegations stem from testimony by a former employee who accused the team of withholding security deposits for up to 2,000 customers and hiding money meant to be distributed throughout the league. Snyder denies the accusations.
Almost every team increased its value as the NFL made big investments last season, with the average value of each team increasing by 14%, according to the outlet. Those numbers from the 2021 season marked the league’s biggest gains in five years and came after a 20% drop in revenue after the pandemic-ridden 2020 season.
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The Dallas Cowboys lead the rankings because the team is worth $6.5 billion as of 2021, holding the No. 1 ranking for the last 15 years. The Texas-based team leads the league in both revenue and operating income, raking in $800 million and $280 million, respectively.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reported the biggest one-year increase last season, seeing a 29% increase in 2021. The team had seen a major surge in season ticket and merchandise sales since quarterback Tom Brady joined in March 2020.
