The stench of Dan Snyder no longer plaguing the Washington Commanders has apparently been very good for business.
During an appearance on CNBC’s “Last Call” on Tuesday, Commanders president Jason Wright told host Brian Sullivan the team saw a full season’s worth in annual suite sales in the span of a week after it was first announced Snyder was exploring a sale of the team:
“This is a historic franchise with a 90-year history, people that love this team. We’ve already seen some of that business momentum come back. When the [sale] process was announced last November, we sold what we would normally sell in a full season in annual suites, we made that in a week after we announced the sale.
“There’s anticipation of this franchise returning to what it once was. People are willing to jump back into business with us, whether that’s sponsors, suite-holders and others. We’ve now built an organization that can absorb that momentum.”
That spike in sales reportedly coincides with increased interest among less wealthy fans as well.
Since Snyder bought the Commanders in 1999, the team’s local standing has dwindled in pretty much all areas. A fanbase that was once the largest and most loyal in the league is now often outnumbered by opposing NFC East fans at FedEx Field. Meanwhile, scandal has plagued the team for years, with two separate NFL investigations and a Congressional inquiry.
The Commanders, once ranked as the most valuable franchise in the most valuable league in sports, ranked sixth in the most recent Forbes team valuations, though their value has still gone up thanks to the overall rising tide of NFL revenue.
Snyder is now set to sell the Commanders for a record $6 billion to a group led by billionaire Josh Harris, who also owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. The sale is still in progress and now in the NFL’s hands, but Wright told CNBC it “does look all things are coming to fruition” on the sale.
Jason Wright on Ron Rivera: ‘Curious’ to see how he performs without Dan Snyder noise
When asked about the standing of Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, Wright gave the veteran coach a vote of confidence and believed the team could take a step forward without the constant criticism against the organization:
“I’ve got a a lot of faith in Ron. Ron, for the first time, is going to be able to lead a football team without the external noise that we’ve experienced over time. He would never make that as an excuse, he would never let that get into the guys’ heads, but I’m curious to see how they perform without some of that in the background.”
Rivera holds a record of 22-27-1 in three seasons with the Commanders, though Wright noted the team had “underperformed” at the quarterback position and said he believed current starting quarterback Sam Howell could help this season.
(Disclosure: Josh Harris is a co-founder of Apollo Global Management, which owns Yahoo, Inc. He left the private equity firm in 2022.)
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Recap
In a week following Dan Snyder sale report, Commanders President announces selling a season’s worth of suites.
The Washington Commanders saw a full season’s worth in annual suite sales in the span of a week after team owner Dan Snyder announced he was exploring a sale of the franchise last November, according to team president Jason Wright. Wright told CNBC the announcement generated a spike in sales and noted the team’s improved standing without the “external noise” of Snyder’s controversies. The team, which is set to sell for a record $6 billion to a group led by billionaire Josh Harris pending NFL approval, ranked sixth in Forbes’ most recent team valuations despite dropping in local standing during Snyder’s tenure.
#DanSnyder #WashingtonCommanders #NFL #sportsbusiness #teamvalue #saleprocess #billiondollardeal #JoshHarris #RonRivera #footballcoach #SamHowell #ApolloGlobalManagement #YahooSports