The sale of the Denver Broncos is in full swing. Five groups are apparently ushering in the next phase in the race for the NFL franchise. Two of the co-bidders are also interested in buying Chelsea FC.

Munich/Denver – The Denver Broncos are up for sale and it is expected to be the most expensive sale of a professional sports team in history. Speculation on the sum is settling at around four billion US dollars – former owner Pat Bowlen, who died in 2018, bought the franchise for a measly $78 million 38 years ago.

According to a report by Owen Poindexter of Front Office Sports, one of the bidders is Todd Boehly, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lakers and Sparks, another is Josh Harris. He too knows a thing or two about owning sports teams, is a shareholder in Crystal Palace, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia 76ers. Both are also among two of three bidding groups that have the best cards in the race to buy Chelsea FC.

Boehly has an estimated fortune of 4.7 billion US dollars, Harris is said to be worth 7.5 billion. However, neither can even begin to compete with the third bidder and supposed favourite.

Rob Walton is in pole position

Walmart heir Rob Walton is the third bidder for the Broncos and is said to have a fortune of just over 70 billion US dollars. This puts him in the top 20 richest people in the world by “Forbes”. According to reports, he is already preparing a bid of 4 billion US dollars in advance and is being treated as the favourite in the group of five – mainly because of his deep pockets. In an open bidding, he is highly likely to outbid his competition.

The two other interested parties are not known. However, the founder of “Entertainment Studios”, Byron Allen and Robert F. Smith, president of “Vista Equity Partners” were reportedly involved in talks about buying the franchise earlier.

A financial advisory firm is handling the Broncos’ business affairs. The sale is expected to be completed by the start of the new season. Once a suitable candidate is found, it will be reviewed by the NFL Finance Committee, which consists of eight team owners. They will then present the sale to the entire league, 24 “yes” votes are then still needed for the purchase to become official.