A co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers has begun exploring a bid for the Seattle Seahawks, according to people familiar with the matter, joining at least two other billionaires in the early stages of what's shaping up to be the NFL's first ownership test above $5 billion.
The Paul G. Allen estate launched the formal sale process in February, six years after the Microsoft co-founder's death left the franchise and the rest of his $20 billion portfolio in trust. The Seahawks generated roughly $560 million in revenue during the 2022 season and carry no stadium debt—CenturyLink Field is publicly owned—making the asset unusually clean for institutional buyers and family offices used to evaluating cash-flowing real estate. The estate has retained Allen & Company to run the process.
Todd Boehly, the Eldridge Industries founder who assembled the Dodgers ownership group in 2012 for $2.15 billion and later joined the Lakers ownership structure, has signaled interest, according to Semafor. Separately, Vinod Khosla, the Sun Microsystems co-founder and Kleiner Perkins veteran who holds a minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers, is preparing a bid that would require him to divest his NFC West position under league cross-ownership rules. The appearance of two names with existing NFL or MLB exposure is worth noting: it suggests the Allen estate is running a controlled process with known quantities rather than inviting chaos from first-time buyers who might stumble on league approval.
The bidding environment matters because the Seahawks sale will reset the valuation ceiling for all 32 franchises. The Denver Broncos sold in August 2022 for $4.65 billion to Walmart heir Rob Walton, a record that reflected post-pandemic sports asset inflation and a tightening supply of available teams. The Seahawks enter the market with a stronger local sponsorship base—Seattle's tech economy has minted more corporate buyers than Denver's energy-and-aerospace mix—and a fanbase that's traveled well since the Pete Carroll era began in 2010. Forbes pegs the franchise at $4.7 billion, but that figure predates the Broncos comp and doesn't account for the scarcity premium when only one NFL team changes hands every few years.
Khosla's interest is particularly instructive. His 49ers stake, acquired in 2020 as part of a $1 billion capital raise by the York family, would need to be sold before the NFL's finance committee would bless a Seahawks purchase. The fact that he's willing to unwind a position in a division rival—one coming off consecutive NFC Championship appearances—suggests he views the Seahawks as the better platform. That calculus likely turns on market size, stadium economics, and the potential to bring institutional venture money into a front office that's been relatively quiet on the analytics hiring circuit since John Schneider took over personnel in 2010.
Boehly's presence raises different questions. His Dodgers group has spent aggressively on player payroll and stadium renovations, pushing the franchise valuation above $4 billion in secondary-market estimates. If he's serious about the Seahawks, it would mark the first time a sitting MLB principal owner has pursued an NFL controlling stake since the league tightened cross-sport ownership rules in the 1990s. The league would have to grant an exception or require him to reduce his Dodgers position below the threshold that triggers approval requirements, a bureaucratic path that tends to slow deals by 6-9 months.
The Allen estate has told prospective buyers that first-round bids are due in late spring, with a second round and stadium tours planned for summer, according to people briefed on the timeline. The estate is also selling the Portland Trail Blazers separately, which removes any package-deal synergy but keeps the NFL process insulated from NBA drama. Jody Allen, Paul's sister and the estate's trustee, has publicly committed to selling both franchises, a stance that's kept team presidents and front-office staff in permanent audition mode since the announcement.
What to watch: whether any Seattle-based tech founders surface in the next 30 days. Amazon's Jeff Bezos has been floated in every NFL sale rumor since 2018 and has never bitten; Microsoft alumni with $1 billion+ net worths remain the more plausible local angle. Coordinator hires under head coach Pete Carroll, who turns 72 in September, will telegraph whether the next owner inherits a rebuild or a veteran roster betting on one more window. The NFL's May ownership meetings in Minneapolis will offer the first venue for informal buyer vetting.
The Seahawks haven't missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2009-2011. The next owner inherits a $5 billion asset with no deferred maintenance and a lease that runs through 2033.
The takeaway
Dodgers-Lakers co-owner and 49ers investor Khosla both circling **$5B+** Seahawks sale; first-round bids due late spring.
seahawksnfl ownershiptodd boehlyvinod khoslapaul allen estatefranchise valuation
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