NFL owners have approved the sale of the Seattle Seahawks to a group led by Vinod Khosla, handing control of the reigning Super Bowl champions to a new ownership group for $9.612bn. The vote met the league’s threshold of owner support, and the price ranks among the highest ever paid for a North American sports franchise.
The estate of Paul G. Allen agreed terms with the Khosla family on 11 July after a search for a buyer. The approved transaction tops the $6.05bn paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023, and follows an NBA sale that reached $10bn in 2025, with that franchise currently reported to be changing hands again for $12.5bn.
At a press conference, Khosla framed the purchase as both a privilege and a challenge. "We are honoured to be entrusted as the next stewards of the Seattle Seahawks. How often do you get to buy a franchise that just won the Super Bowl?" he said. He added the immediate objective plainly, "The task ahead is actually pretty simple - keep the winning streak alive, get another Super Bowl."
Khosla said he plans a long-term approach and expects to learn from existing owners and the Seahawks' management. "Our approach is generally going to be long-term focused, that's our inclination always. So, keep winning, take a long-term approach, and learn a lot. We don't know enough, and the other owners have been incredibly welcoming and willing to teach us, so we'll learn a lot," he said.
The new owner will need to relinquish a minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers as part of the purchase arrangement. Khosla, 71, co-founded Sun Microsystems and later founded Khosla Ventures, and Forbes lists his net worth at $13.2bn.
Paul Allen rescued the Seahawks from a proposed relocation when he bought the team from Ken Behring in 1997. After his death, his sister Jody Allen took control of the Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers with instructions to sell both teams and donate the proceeds to charity. During the 29 seasons under Paul or Jody Allen, the Seahawks reached the play-offs 17 times and won two of the four Super Bowls they contested.
The Seahawks will open their next season on 9 September against the New England Patriots, the club they beat in February's Super Bowl. With ownership now changed, the organisation faces the twin tasks of managing transition off the field and meeting heightened expectations on it.
