At long last, the Dan Snyder era in Washington is over.
The NFL approved the $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris last February, officially closing the door on Snyder’s tenure when the deal was made official over the summer.
That sales figure is easily the biggest for a North American sports franchise to date. Here’s the list of the most expensive sales:
1. Washington Commanders, $6.05 billion – 2023
Snyder had held majority ownership over Washington’s NFL franchise since 1999. He and Harris entered into an exclusive agreement in May, and the owners unanimously approved of the sale in February. Snyder’s exit came on the same day he was fined $60 million after an independent investigation supported claims of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct.
2. Denver Broncos, $4.65 billion – 2022
Denver was a mile high above the rest on this list until the Washington sale. The Walton-Penner’s $4.65 billion purchase of the Broncos blew the lid off the previous record-high sales. The sale followed the trend of major acquisitions by Denver in 2022. During the offseason, the team acquired Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in a blockbuster trade to be the new face of the franchise.
3. Phoenix Suns/Mercury, $4 billion – 2023
Robert Sarver announced in September 2022 that he would sell his stake in the Phoenix Suns and Mercury following an investigation into the organization’s workplace environment. Mat Ishbia, the president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, finalized the purchase of the two franchises for a whopping $4 billion after the NBA’s board of governors approved his plan to purchase the controlling stake of those franchises from Sarver.
4. Dallas Mavericks, $3.5 billion – 2023
The NBA approved the sale of controlling interest of the Mavericks from Mark Cuban to the Las Vegas Sands casino company, controlled by Miriam Adelson (widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson.) Patrick Dumont, Adelson's son-in-law, is President and Chief Operating Officer of the Las Vegas Sands company. Cuban is expected to still be in control of basketball operations.
5. Charlotte Hornets, $3 billion – 2023
Michael Jordan agreed to sell his majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets in June. A group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall agreed to buy the stake for a reported $3 billion. Jordan’s tenure in Charlotte was disappointing, especially by Jordan’s championship standards, as the team made just two playoff appearances in Jordan’s 13 seasons in charge.
6. New York Mets, $2.4 billion – 2020
The New York Mets broke the record for the most expensive sale of any MLB team in 2020. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen completed the purchase from Fred Wilpon and family, who had previously owned the franchise for about 34 years.
7. Brooklyn Nets, $2.35 billion – 2019
Joseph Tsai owned 49% of the Brooklyn Nets until he struck a deal with then-majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov for full ownership, which reportedly cost him $2.35 billion. Tsai first bought a stake in the team in 2017.
8. Carolina Panthers, $2.275 billion – 2018
In the summer of 2018, the Carolina Panthers became the most expensive NFL team after hedge fund billionaire David Tepper purchased the franchise for just south of $2.3 billion. The sale was finalized on July 9, which came after Panthers founder Jerry Richardson was fined almost $3 million by the NFL for sexual and racial misconduct.
T-9. Houston Rockets, $2.2 billion – 2017
In September 2017, Leslie Alexander sold the Rockets to Houston businessman Tilman Fertitta for $2.2 billion. That was the most for an NBA team at the time, until the Nets topped the mark a few years later.
T-9. Los Angeles Dodgers, $2 billion – 2012
On March 27, 2012, Frank McCourt agreed to sell the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion. Guggenheim Baseball Management, which included NBA star Magic Johnson, became the new owners of the franchise. It set the record for a while until multiple organizations started passing it up five years later, starting with the Rockets.
T-9. Los Angeles Clippers, $2 billion – 2014
Two years after the Dodgers went for $2 billion, a fellow Los Angeles franchise followed suit. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also bought the Clippers for $2 billion after the controversy involving Donald Sterling.
The following franchises cost over $1 billion to purchase:
- Baltimore Orioles, $1.725 billion – 2024
- Toronto Maple Leafs, $1.3 billion – 2011
- Buffalo Bills, $1.2 billion – 2014
- Miami Marlins, $1.2 billion – 2017
- Seattle Mariners, $1.2 billion – 2016
