Seahawks Deny Report Of Seeking Sale After Super Bowl Against Patriots
The Seattle Seahawks denied a report that the team will go up for sale after their Super Bowl LX matchup against the New England Patriots.
ESPN’s Seth Wickersham and Brady Henderson said Friday evening that conversations have begun about the Seahawks pursuing a sale. An executive speculated that the Seahawks could go for $7 to $8 billion, which would set an NFL record and trail only the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent $10 billion purchase as the most expensive sale of a major U.S. sports franchise.
However, a spokesperson of late owner Paul G. Allen’s estate disputed ESPN’s claims in a statement shared by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” the statement said. “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.”
Allen’s estate has owned the Seahawks and Trail Blazers since the Microsoft co-founder died in 2018. His sister, Jody Allen, currently runs the teams as the estate’s executor and trustee, but Paul Allen directed her to sell his sports holdings and donate the proceeds to philanthropy.
The estate reached a formal agreement to sell the Blazers to a group of investors led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. Although the purchase could take several years to complete, Dundon is expected to take control of the NBA team once the deal closes in March.
The Blazers reportedly sold for $4 billion, less than the Boston Celtics’ $6.1 billion sale to Bill Chisholm approved by the NBA last August.
Wickersham and Henderson noted that the Seahawks would become the first NFL team put up for a full sale immediately after appearing in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks could seemingly bolster their market value by defeating the Patriots for their second Lombardi Trophy on Sunday, Feb. 8.