Seahawks up for sale after Super Bowl? Allen Estate says team is not for sale

Could this Super Bowl be the last under an ownership structure the Seahawks have had — and enjoyed their greatest success under — for almost 30 years?

ESPN reported Friday that the Seahawks will be up for sale sometime after Super Bowl 60 is played on Feb. 8.

A spokesman for the Paul G. Allen Estate responded Friday afternoon.

“We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” the Allen Estate’s statement read. “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 (Allen’s NBA) Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

The Wall Street Journal published a report later Friday backing the ESPN report the Seahawks are about to be sold, “that people familiar with the matter expect a sale process to begin shortly after the season end

As the Allen Estate’s statement mentions, Allen dictated to his estate that it sell the Seahawks and the Trail Blazers, as part of sales of many of the co-founder of Microsoft Corp.’s worldwide interests.

The Blazers went on sale in September 2025. They reportedly will be sold in the coming months for up to $4.25 billion to a group led by Tom Dundon. He is the owner of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes.

A spokesman for Vulcan, Inc., Allen’s company that manages the Seahawks, reiterated to The News Tribune in the summer of 2023 the process of the estate reviewing and selling Allen’s assets include the Seahawks could take 10 to 20 years.”

Based on previous NFL team sales and the valuation of the Seahawks given the league’s ballooning revenues from year over year from new media rights deals and multiple other sources, some estimate a Seahawks’ sale in 2026 could command $8 billion. Or more.

Allen bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $200 million.

When he did, he signed a 30-year lease for the Seahawks to move into their new stadium on the south end of downtown Seattle now called Lumen Field. The team began play there in 2002.. That lease is to end after the 2031 season. The stadium lease in Seattle reportedly has options for the Seahawks owner to extend it another 20 years beyond 2031.

Jody Allen, Paul’s sister, became the team chair after her brother died seven-plus years ago.

She was on a stage on Lumen Field Sunday night lifting the George Halas Trophy for the Seahawks’ first NFC championship in 11 years.

Friday, coach Mike Macdonald said he meets weekly with Allen, via Zoom, the day after Seahawks games.

“She’s been incredibly supportive. We haven’t hit the mark all the time, and so when she gives feedback,” Macdonald said. “It’s very simple. And it’s through, like, a great lens that maybe if I’m kind of in the fog, you don’t see it.”

The coach said his owner’s questions are “piercing.”

“It gets right to the point, and it’s helpful,” Macdonald said of Allen.

“She’s been awesome.”

This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 6:29 PM.