Super Bowl champion franchise for sale

Less than a month after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are for sale. The team confirmed as much in an announcement today.

‘The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,’ the statement read.

‘The Estate has selected investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins to lead the sale process, which is estimated to continue through the 2026 off-season. NFL owners must then ratify a purchase agreement,’ it continued.

Allen, co-founder of the Microsoft Corporation, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million. Allen died in 2018 at age 65 and team ownership was transferred to the Allen estate, managed by his sister Jody.

Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about a potential sale of the franchise leading up to Super Bowl 60.

‘To go with the sale and the ownership… nothing’s changed from two weeks ago or nothing’s changed since I interviewed for the job with Jody two years ago,’ Macdonald said.

It obviously wasn’t a distraction as the Seahawks earned a dominant 29-13 win.

Macdonald went on to praise Jody’s presence in the franchise.

‘Jody is a fantastic owner,’ he said. ‘Supportive, steadfast in what she believes and what she wants the Seahawks team to be and what it should mean to our community.

And she can kind of see through the fog that sometimes maybe in the first year I had a hard time doing. So to have that type of guidance and that type of support has meant a lot. So I can say this: I love having Jody as our owner.’

The Allen Estate also owns the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers and is a minority owner of MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC.

This could be the third NFL team sale in the last five years. In 2024, the Washington Commanders were sold for $6.05 billion, the richest sale in NFL history. In 2022, the Denver Broncos were sold for $4.65 billion.

As of August 2025, Forbes valued the Seahawks franchise at $6.7 billion. That valuation put them at 14th league-wide. That would reset the record for the richest sale in NFL history if it holds.