Is Saudi Arabia considering the purchase of an NFL team post the controversial PGA Tour and LIV Golf merger?
NFL has to make some significant changes in their rulebook considering the changing power dynamics of the sports world.
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It is possible that we might see a Saudi owned NFL franchise in the future (Image Via Reuter/NFL official)
After the recent merger between the LIV Golf and PGA Tour, some are speculating that Saudis might even consider buying an NFL franchise. Last week’s stunning news of the merger is still fresh in the memory, and it is entirely possible they will turn their gaze to the NFL. However, NFL rules prohibit foreign entities from buying any franchise. But rules are meant to be broken. The Public Investment Fund, formerly the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Saudi Arabia, can invest if they choose.
Over the years, the NFL Committee has made various changes to its governing rules to make the game better. The notion of “old school football” is the reason the game is still popular and becoming even bigger as time passes.
Renowned sports reporter Albert Breer believes that a Saudi takeover is a possibility. It happened in golf; why not in football, he argued. Considering that they are trying to diversify their empire by investing in various sporting institutions, this should ring the alarm bell for the NFL. It will also be a show of power and prestige to the world. Owning an NFL franchise will undoubtedly be a major flex for them.
Breer painted a clear picture, stating that the recent purchase of Washington Commanders by billionaire Josh Harris for $6.3 billion is a sign of things to come. It proves that buying a franchise is getting lucrative. However, Saudi Arabia, with its vast wealth and sources, is capable of pulling it off. They might not take over the entire NFL as they did with the PGA, but they can certainly buy an existing franchise.
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Can Saudi investment change NFL Commissioner’s heart like it did with PGA?
Everything has a price, and the highest bidder always finds a way to get his hands on the prize. Even though the NFL’s rules bar any foreign company or government from investing in the franchises, who’s to say that won’t change in the future?
PGA Tour’s chairman, Jay Monahan, eventually caved into the investment. Most were shocked to see the merger happen, even after Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the 9/11 attacks.
If one rolls the dice back to 2009, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell tried his best to not allow gambling to enter football. But after realizing the potential of earning more money through gambling, the floodgates opened.
Saudi’s takeover of English Premier League soccer side Newcastle United is another example. They had been struggling for a while until the purchase, and instantly it changed their fortune.
If the NFL sees more profit from Saudi investments, it might have a change of heart like Monahan.
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Ishan Misra
(3021 Articles Published)