Seahawks Sale: Ownership Change Rumors After Super Bowl

ESPN, WSJ report ‘imminent sale’ amid denial of Allen Foundation: “Not at this time”

A report is drawing attention that the Seattle Seahawks, who advanced to this year’s Super Bowl, may soon begin a sale process.

Seahawks is the late Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. After his death, his sister Jody Allen (picture) has been running the club as chairman, and it is already known that it will be sold in the long term.

The core of the controversy is ‘point of view.’

ESPN reported on the 30th, citing league and club sources, that the Seahawks will be on the sale market after Super Bowl LX.

According to reports, sales discussions have been underway at the league and club levels for at least a week, and there have been predictions that the club’s value could reach $7 billion to $8 billion.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) also reported that the sale process is likely to begin immediately after the end of the season, and that it could be the highest sale in NFL history.

However, the Paul G. Allen Foundation immediately issued a rebuttal. “We do not comment on rumors or speculation, and the Seahawks are not currently for sale,” the foundation said. However, he reaffirmed his previous position that “it will be sold at some point according to Paul’s will,” and added that he is currently focusing on challenging for the Super Bowl championship and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Although he denied an ‘immediate sale’, he did not completely rule out the possibility after the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks have been operated under a trust structure since Paul Allen’s death in 2018, and the legal owner is the Allen Foundation. Jody Allen has said on several occasions that “the Seahawks are not for sale,” but in a 2022 statement, he said, “There will come a time when a sale will come at some point in line with Paul’s plans to devote most of his fortune to charity.”

In particular, the fact that the 1997 referendum provision linked to the construction of Lumen Field expired in 2025, and the requirement to pay 10% to the state of Washington upon sale, disappeared, which also added support to the recent sale rumors.

Meanwhile, Paul Allen acquired the Seahawks for $194 million in 1997, preventing the team from moving to LA and leaving the team in Seattle. Afterwards, he operated the team under the condition of building a new stadium and led the opening of Lumen Field in 2002. Jody Allen recently showed his love for running the club by attending the NFC Champions Trophy presentation ceremony, and manager Mike McDonald also commented, “Jody Allen has a clear vision and strong support.”

The possible sale of the Seahawks is tied to the process of resolving the more than $20 billion legacy left behind by Paul Allen. The foundation has already sold artwork, real estate, and yachts to continue making large-scale donations to the fields of science, the environment, and AI, and the Seahawks are also being mentioned as one of the final pieces of the puzzle.