‘Unprecedented’ $8bn Seattle Seahawks sale tipped to smash NFL records and reshape ownership after Super Bowl LX

The Seattle Seahawks will go up for sale after Super Bowl LX, in what could be an ‘unprecedented’ moment for the NFL.

Reports from The Athletic and ESPN on Friday — just nine days before the biggest game of the season — suggested the franchise will seek new ownership following the 2018 death of former owner Paul G. Allen.

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According to ESPN sources, sale discussions have ‘taken place at ownership and league levels for at least the past week.’

The Seahawks have been owned by Allen’s estate since the former Microsoft co-founder died in 2018.

Allen’s will said that his sports holdings, which also include the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and a 25 percent ownership in MLS’s Seattle Sounders, would eventually be sold with proceeds going toward philanthropy.

No timetable was announced publicly for the sale of any team.

Allen’s sister, Jody Allen, became the Seahawks’ controlling owner eight years ago.

According to ESPN’s report, a spokesperson for Allen’s estate said the organization doesn’t comment on rumors or speculation, and insisted that ‘the team is not for sale.’

“We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but I have no news to share,” the statement added.

“Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

Seahawks sale could set ‘unprecedented’ NFL record

Should the team get put up for sale in the coming weeks, the move would be historic.

It would mark the first time in the Super Bowl era that an entire franchise that played in the world championship game hits the market shortly after.

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The closest NFL comparison would be from back in 1991, when Preston Robert Tisch purchased 50 percent of the recently-crowned champion New York Giants.

Should the Seahawks win Super Bowl LX, as talkSPORT has tipped them to do, any sale has been described as ‘unprecedented’ for American football.

“The closest parallel comes from the NBA, where the Boston Celtics were sold in 2025, a season after winning the championship, for a then-record price,” WebProBusiness wrote, in an article that suggested a post-Super Bowl sale will ‘reshape NFL Ownership.’

“That transaction demonstrated how a recent championship can amplify a franchise’s value, serving as both proof of organizational excellence and a marketing tool for attracting premium buyers.

“The timing of a post-Super Bowl sale creates unique dynamics. A championship victory would generate maximum publicity and prestige, potentially attracting buyers who might otherwise have focused on other opportunities.

“It also validates the current organizational structure, from front office personnel to coaching staff, providing a new owner with a turnkey operation rather than a project requiring extensive rebuilding.”

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How much could the Seahawks sell for?

Allen purchased the team for around $200million in 1997, to prevent it from relocating to California.

Seattle secured Super Bowl glory in 2013 and has been a regular playoff contender in the years since.

The franchise is now chasing the Lombardi Trophy for a second time and will meet the New England Patriots in Santa Clara on February 8.

When the team does go up for sale, it will fetch far more than the $200m Allen paid just under three decades previously.

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One team executive told ESPN that the Seahawks could fetch $7billion to $8billion on the market, which would be an NFL record.

The most recent football team sold was the Washington Commanders. A group led by Josh Harris purchased it in 2023 for a record $6.05bn.

One year prior to that, the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65bn in August 2022.

Sportico values the Seahawks at $6.59bn, the 14th highest in the NFL, but that price would likely rise if a bidding war was to break out.

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Any sale will likely be a league record, but it won’t come close to the history made by the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.

Last June, the majority stake in the franchise sold for an estimated $10bn, which was the most expensive sale of a US sports team in history.

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