The Seattle Seahawks are just about a week away from playing in their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. It might also be the last one they play for under current ownership.
Longtime Seahawks beat
reporter Brady Henderson reported on Friday that the Seahawks, “will go up for sale after Super Bowl LX, league and ownership sources familiar with the arrangement told ESPN, ending years of questions about when the team would seek new ownership following the 2018 death of former owner Paul G. Allen.
“Sale discussions have taken place at ownership and league levels for at least the past week.”
A spokesperson for the Paul G. Allen estate released a statement following Henderson’s report.
“We don’t comment on rumors and speculation, and 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. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”
The NBA’s Trail Blazers are in the process of being sold for over $4 billion to a group led by billionaire Tom Dundon, who also owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
The Seahawks were officially sold to Paul Allen for $200 million in 1997, effectively rescuing the franchise from relocation to Anaheim, California. Over the span of nearly three decades, the Seahawks have been one of the more successful teams in the NFL in terms of wins, playoff appearances, and Super Bowl appearances.
As of May 2024, the Seahawks’ agreement to give 10 percent of their sale price to the state of Washington has expired. This was done following a referendum that paved the way for the construction of Lumen Field. It was expected that any Seahawks sale would occur after the expiration of the agreement, but there was no strict timeline to adhere to Paul Allen’s directive to sell off his assets (and donate proceeds to charitable causes).
The last NFL team to be sold was the Washington Commanders, who were acquired for $6.05 billion in 2023 by a group led by Josh Harris, who also co-owns the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and NHL’s New Jersey Devils. ESPN was told by an anonymous team executive that the Seahawks could be worth in the neighborhood of $8 billion.
It’s not like this is some brand new story—it’s “when” and not “if” the Seahawks are sold—but this is extraordinary timing after the best season in over a decade. Perhaps the time could be to sell on a high note… and with a second Lombardi Trophy.
