A consortium led by Josh Harris has completed the takeover of the Washington Commanders.
Two American billionaires linked to investments in Liverpool have achieved a record takeover.
The Reds were launched last November by owners Fenway Sports Group. It was unclear at the time if the club was sold in whole or in part.
Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) has been named as a potential candidate. Led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, they planned to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich last year after he was sanctioned by the British government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, a consortium led by Todd Boehly won the bid to purchase the Stamford Road side in a deal worth a total of £4.25m.
Harris and Blitzer currently each own an 18% stake in Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, while HBSE owns NBA team Philadelphia 76ers and NHL team New Jersey Devils.
But now Harris has led a takeover of his own. The NHL owners have officially signed a deal to buy the Washington Commanders from Dan Snyder for a price of £4.71 billion ($6.05 billion). That makes it the most expensive sports team in the world, surpassing the £3.62 billion ($4.65 billion) purchase of the Denver Broncos in August 2022.
Blitzer is involved in the consortium along with NBA hall-of-famer Magic Johnson. Harris said of the Commanders purchase, “This franchise is part of who I am and who I have become as a person. But being a fan is not enough.
“To be successful, we understand that we need to win championships, positively impact the community, and have incredible, incredible memories and experiences for our fans, just like I had growing up in Washington. “For our team and our incredible fan base in Washington, a new era has begun in Washington soccer. It’s time to get to work.”
FSG continues to look for new investors for Liverpool. Principal owner John Henry confirmed earlier this year that the Boston-based group is in talks with potential parties.
Speaking to the Boston Sports Journal, Henry said: Yes. I know there have been a lot of talks and quotes about LFC, but I’ll stick with the facts:
We just formalized an ongoing process. Are we going to stay in England forever? No. Do we sell LFC? No. Do you talk about LFC to investors? Yes. Is something going to happen there? I think so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the last 20+ years?”
