Groups Led by Dodgers, 76ers and Devils Owners Submit Non-Binding Bids to Buy Broncos

Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly is among the five prospective bidders to purchase the Denver Broncos, according to Brandon Sapienza of Bloomberg.

Other non-binding bids have been made by Josh Harris, who is a principal owner of the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers, and Walmart heir Rob Walton. The other two bids are not currently known.

All bidders will reportedly have in-person meetings with Broncos executives at the beginning of May, per Sapienza.

The Broncos were first put up for sale Feb. 1 by the estate of Pat Bowlen. A legal battle held up the potential sale with Edgar Kaiser Jr. estate holding the right of first refusal until a settlement was reached last week, per Mike Klis of 9News.

Team president and CEO Joe Ellis said last month that there is a "realistic timetable" for the team to be sold by the start of the 2022 season. 

Walton was an early favorite to purchase the team while reportedly planning a bid higher than $4 billion, per Josh Kosman of the New York Post. It would be the largest sale ever for a sports franchise.

Last year, the Broncos were valued at $3.2 billion by Forbes, tied for 25th among all sports teams worldwide. 

Boehly was part of the Guggenheim Baseball Management group that spent $2 billion on the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012. He also purchased a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021.

The businessman is in the running to purchase Chelsea of the Premier League and is considered one of the three remaining bidders, via James Olley of ESPNFC.

Harris is also among the Chelsea bidders with a group led by Sir Martin Broughton. Harris and David Blitzer currently own a stake in fellow EPL club Crystal Palace.

It's unclear whether either party would be able to purchase both the Broncos and Chelsea.

Walton would still be a difficult bidder to defeat for the Broncos with an estimated net worth $69.2 billion, per Bloomberg, making him the 17th richest person in the world.