It certainly hasn’t taken long for the Washington Commanders’ to reap the rewards of new ownership, at least from a financial point.
Earlier this week, NFL owners officially approved of Josh Harris’ group purchasing the Commanders for $6.05 billion from Dan Snyder. The sell mercilessly ends a humiliating, scandal-filled Snyder era that lasted 24 seasons (1999 to 2022).
Unsurprisingly, the change in ownership has already been a major win for the Commanders at the ticket office. Per a report from Michael Phillips and A.J. Perez from Front Office Sports, the NFC East club has already exceeded “total revenue for tickets and suites compared to” last year:
“The Commanders have already surpassed total revenue for tickets and suites compared to all of 2022, according to data provided by the Commanders. Year-over year, ticket sales are up 52%, and suite sales are on pace to double last year’s figure.
Since news of the tentative deal between Harris and Snyder hit in the middle of April, the team has sold 3.500 season ticket memberships, according to the team.”
The sale marks the most expensive purchase for a North American sports franchise. Harris also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, who are both coming off 50-win seasons.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
Washington was once among the model NFL franchises, winning a trio of Super Bowls under legendary head coach Joe Gibbs (in 1982, 1987 and 1991). But things took a turn for the worst once Snyder became the new owner at 34 years of age in 1999.
The franchise won just two playoff games during Snyder’s ownership, the last one coming in the 2005 NFC Wild Card Round. The club also hasn’t finished with double-digit wins since 2012, and they haven’t had a winning season since 2016.
But that’s finally in the past. Washington now has a committed and experienced sports owner in Harris to help steer the franchise into a new direction.
