Another NFL franchise is up for sale, and once again, record numbers are being circulated as likely valuations. The process of selling the Seattle Seahawks franchise is still extremely young, but early information indicates that the final number will almost certainly set a record for the sale of an NFL franchise.
The most recent change of ownership that required a sale was that of the Commanders in 2023. Current majority owner Josh Harris acquired the franchise and Northwest Stadium from Dan Snyder with the help of a 20-member group of limited partners for $6.05BB. According to Jonathan Jones of NFL on CBS, the Seahawks’ sale is expected to “without a doubt” reach at least $7M.
This figure is much more in line with the original perceived value — approximately $6.59B, per Sportico — and far under speculation following the team’s Super Bowl LX victory of somewhere from $9B to $11B. Over at SportsBoom US, Jason La Canfora also challenged any figure in the double-digit billions. Citing opposing executives as his source, he ventured that, with the right circumstances, the sale may come close to $8.5B, but even that would be a stretch.
Both reporters maintained that several names have been connected as potential bidders, but who those names belong to has been difficult information to come by. Jones, though, reportedly heard the name Steve Ballmer from two sources. Ballmer, the longtime Microsoft CEO and current owner of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, owns property in the Seattle area, and with a net worth over $120B, he’d certainly be capable of covering the asking price. Another source cautioned Jones from going down that road, though, suggesting that Ballmer is “really a hoops guy” who isn’t expected to be interested in obtaining an NFL franchise.
In a bit of unrelated news, La Canfora teased that, after the Seahawks, the Ravens are reportedly “widely viewed as the team most likely to hit the market.” He reports that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has openly expressed interest in selling “while he is still young enough to enjoy the spoils,” and he does not intend to pass the franchise down to his family.