The Washington Post is not for sale, owner Jeff Bezos and the newspaper say

By Chloe Melas, CNN

(CNN) - The Washington Post is not for sale, spokespeople for the newspaper and its owner Jeff Bezos told CNN on Monday.

They denied a New York Post report, which cited unnamed sources; suggesting the billionaire could shed the newspaper to help fund a potential purchase of the Washington Commanders NFL team.

Bezos visited the Post newsroom last week, meeting with staff and sitting in on editorial meetings. A source close to the situation said Bezos told the paper's senior staff in private meetings that he had no plans to sell the paper.

The Amazon founder, along with Jay-Z, is in talks on a potential joint bid on the Commanders, CNN previously reported.

"Heard the buzz"

In an exclusive interview with CNN in November 2022, the billionaire businessman was asked if he was seeking to buy the team.

"Yes, I've heard that buzz," Bezos said with a smirk.

Bezos also pointed out that he "grew up in Houston, Texas, and I played football growing up as a kid."

"It is my favorite sport," he said in the interview. "So we'll just have to wait and see."

Current owner Dan Snyder, facing allegations of a toxic workplace and for targeting accusers, has denied the accusations but says he is considering a sale of the team.

Notable franchises

Overall, the Commanders 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); the team is located in the giant Washington D.C. market.

The NFL is also the biggest ratings powerhouse on American TV and has been a hit for Amazon Prime Video; the exclusive home to "Thursday Night Football."

Jay Marine, Prime Video's head of sports, wrote in an internal memo in September that the debut "exceeded all of our expectations for viewership" and led to "the biggest three hours for US Prime sign ups ever in the history of Amazon."

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