The Seattle Seahawks were put up for sale at the perfect time, coming off a dominant win in the Super Bowl with the franchise seemingly set up to be a perennial contender. It’s expected to lead to a record-breaking deal.
Seth Wickersham of ESPN reported that the expectation is that the Seahawks will be sold for slightly above $9 billion to shatter the NFL record for the highest sale price ever.
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In 2022, the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65 billion to a group that included Walmart heir Rob Walton. A year later, Josh Harris led a group that purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion.
It’s notable that the estimated $9 billion price tag is viewed as weaker than what many owners around the NFL were hoping to see. When Eattle was originally put up for sale, the league reportedly hoped the franchise would be sold for $10-plus billion to match how much the Los Angeles Lakers were sold for in 2025.
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Complicating Factors in Seahawks’ Sale Process
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
While the Seahawks are the reigning Super Bowl champions and located in a great media market with a strong fan base, there are a few factors complicating a potential deal.
Primarily, there are only so many billionaires with both the liquidity to buy an NFL franchise and an interest in doing so. League rules require that at least 30 percent of the bid must be in cash as a down payment. With the projected cost at $9 billion, that means the majority owner would need to put down $3 billion just to receive the league’s approval.
Partnering with private equity firms could help in that regard, but those funds may only own a 10 percent stake in the NFL franchise. It wasn’t until 2024 that the league approved private equity funds to buy stakes in a franchise, but they are still capped at that 10 percent mark.
Beyond that, there’s the high likelihood that the NBA adds an expansion franchise in Seattle in the coming years. That would cost between $7 billion and $10 billion, making it a potentially comparable or even more expensive option for billionaires seeking to get major equity in a pro sports team in Seattle.
Once the Seahawks are sold, the proceeds will go to the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and then be distributed among multiple charities and organization that the late Allen supported.
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