Winning Super Bowl LX Could Help Seahawks Garner Record Price As Owners Place ‘For Sale’ Tag

After more than 30 years as the owners, the Allen family is set to sell the Seattle Seahawks in 2026.

Winning Super Bowl LX Could Help Seahawks Garner Record Price As Owners Place ‘For Sale’ Tag

The Seattle Seahawks are up for sale (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • The Seattle Seahawks are officially for sale following their Super Bowl LX victory.
  • The Allen family aims to sell the franchise to honor Paul Allen's wishes for philanthropic proceeds.
  • Investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins are overseeing the sale process.

A little over ten days after the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl LX, the Allen family is looking to sell the NFL franchise. The Seahawks will be under new ownership very soon.

The Seahawks’ official X account informed supporters on Wednesday that the selling process had begun.

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 Seahawks tweeted (H/T: Official Seattle Seahawks transcript)

The Estate has selected investment bank Allen & Company and law firm Latham & Watkins to lead and oversee the selling process. The handover will officially conclude after NFL owners ratify a final purchase agreement.

Right before the Super Bowl in California, ESPN reported about the sale taking place sometime down the line. A spokesperson for the Seattle franchise dismissed the report. That said, they never outright denied ever holding discussions about a future sale.

We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale. We’ve already said that it will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but there is 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 spokesperson said

The spokesperson may have tried to shake off the questions with a vague explanation, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear that the Seahawks will undergo a change of ownership whether they win the Super Bowl or not.

They’re in the Super Bowl, and I think from that standpoint, they’ve done a really important job in the context of the trust and the execution of that. But eventually the team will need to be sold in accordance with that. That will be Jody’s [Allen] decision for when she does that, and we will be supportive of that.

Roger Goodell said, leading up to the big game. (H/T: ESPN)

Why is the Allen family selling the Seahawks?

Jody Allen took over as the matriarch of the Seahawks after her older brother, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, died in 2018. P. Allen bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million from then-owner Ken Behring. This prevented the Seahawks from leaving Seattle for a different state. Allen was very critical to keeping the club on the West Coast.

Winning Super Bowl LX Could Help Seahawks Garner Record Price As Owners Place 'For Sale' Tag
#12 the Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and head coach Mike Macdonald (Image via IMAGO)

Jody wants to sell the Seahawks to honor Paul’s wishes. Allen left instructions for her to sell both organizations and donate the proceeds to charity before his death from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 65.

The Allen Estate also owns the NBA side, the Portland Trail Blazers. In September, they agreed to sell the team to an investment firm owned by Carolina Hurricanes (Hockey) owner Tom Dundon. Portland fans don’t need to fret too much because the Hurricanes will remain a part of the community in Carolina.

Most recently, in 2023, the Washington Commanders welcomed new ownership. Dan Snyder, who orchestrated Washington’s renaming process from the Redskins to the Commanders, sold it to a group led by Josh Harris that includes ex-NBA player Magic Johnson.

The Seahawks took down the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX. Quarterback Sam Darnold completed 50% of his passes for 202 yards and threw one touchdown. Running back Kenneth Walker rushed 27 times for 135 yards, winning the game’s MVP title. The Seahawks won 29-13.

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