The Washington Commanders stated two weeks ago that “there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise.”

Apparently, Commanders owner Dan Snyder and his wife, co-CEO Tanya Snyder, found one as they announced Wednesday that Bank of America has been retained “to consider potential transactions.”

“We are exploring all options,” a Commanders spokesperson told Front Office Sports.

The news of a potential sale comes after Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay told reporters at the NFL owners meetings on Oct. 18 that “there is merit to removing” Snyder amid five ongoing investigations into the team. 

Sources told FOS that a full sale of the franchise is more than just a possibility. 

The Commanders are valued at $5.6 billion, but it’s expected that the team would fetch at least $6 billion. 

• That sum would surpass the sale of Chelsea FC ($5.3 billion) for the most ever paid for a sports franchise. The NFL and stateside record is currently Rob Walton’s purchase of the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion earlier this year. 
• Snyder led an ownership group that purchased the Commanders for about $800 million in 1999. 
• Last year, NFL owners approved a debt waiver that allowed Snyder to pay close to $1 billion to buy out the 40% of the franchise he didn’t already own. 

Who’s Got Next?

If all or a majority stake in the team changes hands, multiple sources told FOS that there’s one leading candidate to buy it: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup is less than three weeks away, but public pressure is forcing Qatar to consider a major adjustment in its policies for the treatment of LGBT fans at the event.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a tournament organizational body, presented procedures that would see security officials exercise “less intervention and more mediation” and practice “leniency” unless physical integrity or property is threatened, according to Bloomberg.

One policy states that people displaying rainbow flags should not be approached, detained, or prosecuted.

Security forces would also be instructed to not disrupt fans marching and chanting, and leave peaceful protesters who are not a “security issue” alone.

• In October, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell claimed he was arrested after staging an LGBT protest in the country. 
• Human Rights Watch recently reported that security forces arbitrarily arrested and abused LGBT Qataris.

The presented policy changes, which were not developed or approved by the main Qatar organizing committee, follow announcements from LGBT soccer fan groups that they would boycott the tournament due to FIFA’s stance regarding the country’s treatment of the LGBT community. 

The World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20 and ends on Dec. 18.

Additional Accommodations 

As the event nears, an additional 70,000 rooms — starting at $120 per night — have been made available via the Qatar Accommodation Agency portal. 

Accommodations for the event have been limited, with Qatar offering approximately 1,000 tents on the outskirts of Doha and three cruise ships as lodging options.

Women’s sports are increasingly easier to find on TV as more broadcasters invest in its growth — and now there’s a 24/7 dedicated network.

FAST Studios launched the Women’s Sports Network on Wednesday offering more than 1,000 hours of content, including documentaries. The LPGA, the WNBA, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the Premier Hockey Federation, and Athletes Unlimited are among the 12 professional women’s sports leagues and federations that are content partners.

The venture studio also has plans for live games, tournaments, and events — reportedly as soon as January.

The network, which is free and supported by advertisers, will be available on streaming channels including Amazon Freevee, Fox Corp.’s Tubi, FuboTV, and LG channels on LG smart TVs.

“The numbers don’t lie — we know that fans want to see more women’s sports,” said WNBA champion A’ja Wilson.

• The 2022 WNBA season was the most watched in 14 years.
• The 2022 NWSL Championship was the most viewed in league history and the first in primetime thanks to support from Ally Financial. The game was originally scheduled for noon.

In 2019, only 5% of sports coverage from major broadcast networks was allocated to women’s sports.

Primetime Shine

The network creates flexibility, too.

“We have prime time wide open,” said Carol Stiff, Women’s Sports Network board of advisors chair. “We’re 24/7, and we can put games and stories and documentaries where the league partners want their games to be played, versus being forced into areas or windows that they don’t even want to be in.”