New York
CNN
—
The Washington Post is not for sale, spokespersons for the newspaper and its owner, Jeff Bezos, told CNN on Monday.
They denied a report by the New York Post, which cited unnamed sources, suggesting the billionaire may be getting rid of the newspaper to help fund a possible purchase of the Washington Commanders NFL team.
Bezos toured the Post’s newsroom last week, meeting staff and attending editorial meetings. A source close to the situation said Bezos had told senior newspaper executives in private meetings that he had no intention of selling the paper.
The Amazon (AMZN) founder, along with Jay-Z, is in talks about a possible joint Commanders bid, CNN previously reported. In an exclusive interview with CNN in November 2022, the billionaire businessman was asked if he was looking to buy the team.
“Yeah, I heard that buzz,” Bezos said with a smirk.
Bezos pointed out that he “grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football as a kid.”
“It’s my favorite sport,” he said in the interview. “So we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Current owner Dan Snyder, who faces allegations of toxic work and targeting accusers, denied the charges but said he was considering selling the team.
The Commandars are one of the most notable franchises in one of the most popular sports leagues in the world. The Commanders have won three Super Bowls (in 1983, 1988 and 1992) and the team is located in the giant market of Washington, DC.
The NFL is the biggest ratings power on American television and has been a hit for Amazon Prime Video, which is the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football.”
Jay Marine, head of sports at Prime Video, wrote in an internal memo in September that the debut “exceeded all of our viewership expectations” and led to “the highest three hours of US Prime sign-ups ever.” recorded in Amazon history”.