Paul Allen purchased the Seattle Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million.
He was the franchise’s lucky charm because the Seahawks started to become a great team under his ownership.
Since then, the squad entered the playoffs 15 times and played in three Super Bowls.
They won one in Super Bowl XLVIII by dominating the Denver Broncos.
The team also went on to participate in the Super Bowl every time they played in the NFC Championship Game.
But since Allen died in 2018, his sister Jody took over the team.
In some ways, that transition might have led to the team’s downfall because they have only won one playoff game since.
Worst yet, the Seahawks are coming off a 7-10 season, their worst since 2011.
With the Allen family seemingly losing their magic touch, Nike founder Phil Knight reportedly offered a substantial amount to purchase the team.
However, Allen denied that there have been discussions regarding the team’s sale.
Pro Football Focus writer Ari Meirov shared Allen’s statement regarding the matter.
She said, “Neither of the teams is for sale and there are no sales discussions happening.”
Aside from the Seahawks, their family also owns the Portland Trail Blazers.
Allen added, “A time will come when that changes given Paul’s plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, but estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down.”
In other words, there will be no change in ownership for the Seahawks anytime soon even if longtime franchise players Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner are gone.
How Much Will The Sale Price Be?
As of now, the highest sale price for an NFL team is $4.5 billion, paid by the Walton-Penner family to purchase the Broncos.
But a decade from now, that transaction could eventually become a bargain because franchise valuations increase.
The Dallas Cowboys are the most expensive franchise as of the moment at $6.5 billion per Forbes’ estimates.
Therefore, a NFL franchise might be worth $10 billion by at least 2032.
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