Commanders, Manchester United and other pro teams for sale - ESPN

Owning a professional sports team has become a more exclusive group, especially in the NFL.

That point is being hammered home once more during the sale of the Washington Commanders.

Three groups bid on the Commanders, who are in agreement to be sold to one led by Josh Harris for a record $6.05 billion. Separate groups led by Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta both offered at least $5.6 billion. But while others, such as American businessman Byron Allen, expressed interest early on, they lacked the capital to get involved. Amazon.com founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos declined to submit a bid.

But it's not just NFL teams that have shot up in value. The Lerner family purchased MLB's Washington Nationals for $450 million in 2006; the team is now up for sale with an estimated value of $2 billion, according to Forbes. The Glazer family bought the Premier League's Manchester United for approximately $1.4 billion in 2006; the owners are expected to more than double their investment — possibly quadruple it — if the team is sold.

The list goes on. The rising costs limit how many people can buy a pro sports team, but the desire to do so remains strong because of the increasing value. That's why some leagues have loosened rules when it comes to owning a team. The NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS allow private equity investors to own up to 20% of a franchise.

The NFL has resisted that urge, still mandating that any group must be led by an individual who can put down 30% of the sale price, though a group can have up to 25 people.

The NFL boasts six of the top 10 most valuable pro sports franchises — and 13 of the top 20 — according to Forbes as of September; Washington ranked eighth.