Less than two weeks after their victory in Super Bowl 60, the sale process for the Seattle Seahawks has started.
In a statement released by the Seahawks on Wednesday, the Paul G. Allen estate announced it has “commenced a formal sale process” for the franchise.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson reported on Jan. 30 that Allen’s estate would put the Seahawks up for sale following the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks responded to that report in a statement: “We don’t comment on rumors or 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.”
Paul Allen purchased the Seahawks organization in 1997 and served as the owner for 21 years prior to his death in 2018. The franchise has remained under control of Allen’s estate, with his sister, Jody, serving as chairperson.
Per Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal, the Seahawks were fined $5 million by the NFL in 2025 for failure to comply with ownership requirements stemming from Jody holding onto the team for several years after Paul’s death.
Beaton noted the league denied any fine was levied.
In 2022, Jody Allen confirmed neither the Seahawks nor Portland Trail Blazers were for sale at that time but eventually would be in accordance with Paul’s wishes to “dedicate the vast majority of his wealth” to philanthropic efforts.
Allen’s estate entered into an agreement in September to sell the Blazers for a reported $4 billion to an investor group led by Tom Dundon, who currently owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes.
One team executive told Wickersham and Henderson that the Seahawks could sell for between $7-8 billion. Projections that came out after their victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 suggested the sale price could climb as high as $11 billion.
An $11 billion price tag would make the Seahawks the most expensive pro sports franchise ever sold. The current record is held by the Los Angeles Lakers, who were sold to Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation.
The record sale price for an NFL franchise is $6.05 billion that a group led by Josh Harris paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games during the 2025 regular season, followed by victories over the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Patriots in the postseason.
The win over New England marked the Seahawks’ second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
