A former Washington Commanders employee who publicly complained about a hostile work environment with the team said hearing about a pending sale was a “surreal moment.”
“I was in the middle of a work call, and all of a sudden, I had like 10 text messages at one time,” said Megan Imbert, who used to work in the team’s broadcast department. “I don’t know if it’s really sunk in just yet.”
The team’s owner, Dan Snyder, reportedly has a deal in place to sell the Commanders for the biggest price paid for a North American professional sports team.
A group led by private equity investor Josh Harris and businessman Mitchell Rales that includes Magic Johnson has an agreement in principle to buy the team for a record $6.05 billion, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The people confirmed the deal was a fully financed, nonexclusive agreement that was not yet signed.
Once the deal is approved, Harris would own controlling stakes in teams in three of the four major North American pro sports leagues. He and David Blitzer have owned the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers since 2011 and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils since 2013.
Harris has owned a piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2020, which he will need to sell before getting the Commanders.
The price for the Commanders tops the previous record of $4.65 billion set when Walmart heir Rob Walton’s group bought the Denver Broncos last year. Johnson, the basketball Hall of Famer who also owns part of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was also part of Harris’ bid for the Broncos.
“It’s going to be really interesting to see just how supported these new owners are going to be,” Imbert said.
Imbert was a Commanders employee from 2006 through 2011, and said it was not a good experience.
“I definitely was a victim of the sexual harassment environment,” Imbert said. “We’re at a moment in time where these workplace environments really do matter.”
While Imbert said she hopes new ownership will usher in a fresh start for the team and for D.C. sports, she said she views it as more of a first step in a broader cultural shift.
“I think the NFL itself has a lot more work to do in their treatment of workplace conduct, so for me it’s not like I’m going to rush to be at a game,” Imbert said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More on Commanders’ pending sale:
- Sources: Snyder agrees to $6.05B sale of NFL’s Commanders
- Fans react to Dan Snyder’s pending sale of the Commanders
- Washington Commanders timeline under Dan Snyder
- More Washington Commanders News
