Ever dreamed of buying a defending Super Bowl champion franchise?
Well, now you can — if you have a few billion dollars lying around.
The Estate of Paul G. Allen announced it had “commenced a formal sale process” of the Seahawks just 10 days after the franchise captured its second Super Bowl title with a 29-13 win over the Patriots at Levi’s Stadium.
In a statement announcing the news, the Allen estate said the sale of the Seahawks is “consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy.”
“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 final purchase agreement,” the statement continued.
Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, purchased the Seahawks in 1997 for around $200 million.
The team’s current home, Lumen Field, was built, and Seattle won its first Super Bowl (2014) during his tenure and made another Big Game appearance the following season.
Allen died in 2018, and his younger sister, Jody Allen, has been the chair of the franchise since.
At the time of his death, Allen owned the Seahawks, Trail Blazers and a 25 percent stake in the Sounders.
As part of his will, Allen directed his sister to eventually sell off his sports holdings and use the proceeds for charity.
The Seahawks were valued at an estimated $6.59 billion last year by Sportico. Forbes valued the team at $6.7 billion.
The sale of the Seahawks is expected to set a new NFL record, with some suggesting they could sell for as much as $8 billion.
