SEATTLE NFL FRANCHISE SALE TO KHOSLA FAMILY REPORTED AT RECORD $9.612 BILLION

The Seattle Seahawks have agreed to be sold to the Khosla family for a reported $9.612 billion, a record price for a North American sports franchise, according to AP, ESPN, CBS News, NBC Sports, Sportico and NFL.com. The team announced Saturday that the sale agreement had been reached with a group led by Vinod Khosla, a limited partner in the San Francisco 49ers. The reported price would surpass the $6.05 billion paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023. The Seahawks are the defending Super Bowl champions, making the pending sale one of the most closely watched ownership transitions in recent NFL history.

The transaction is not final. It remains subject to review and approval by NFL owners. League-memo reporting said owners have been asked to hold a date in late August for a special meeting to consider the transaction. The NFL Finance Committee is expected to review the deal before the full ownership vote. Until approval is granted, the Khosla family does not formally take control of the franchise. The reported price should also be attributed to reports and sources familiar with the deal, because the team announcement did not publicly confirm every financial term.

Neeru Khosla is expected to serve as the Seahawks' control owner, according to NFL memo reporting and multiple outlets. Vinod Khosla, the Silicon Valley investor and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, is part of the family-led ownership group. Their son Neal Khosla, chief executive of Curai, is also expected to have a leadership role. The structure matters because NFL ownership rules require an approved controlling owner and league review of the broader ownership group. The Khosla family currently holds a limited partner interest in the San Francisco 49ers, and as part of the Seahawks transaction, that stake must be relinquished.

The sale follows the wishes of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen, according to the team and reporting on the agreement. Allen, the Microsoft co-founder, bought the Seahawks in 1997 for $194 million and owned the franchise until his death in 2018. His sister, Jody Allen, has overseen the team through the Paul G. Allen Trust since then. The estate announced earlier this year that it had begun the process of selling the franchise. The team said the agreement with the Khosla family accords with Paul Allen's wishes for the future of the organization.

The reported valuation reflects the continued surge in NFL franchise prices. The Commanders sale in 2023 set the previous North American sports record at $6.05 billion. A reported $9.612 billion price for the Seahawks would move the benchmark sharply higher. The figure reflects not only the team's performance but also the NFL's national media revenues, scarcity value, sponsorship potential and long-term franchise economics. The Seahawks also enter the transaction from a position of unusual on-field strength after winning the Super Bowl.

The transaction also creates a rare ownership shift inside the NFC West. Vinod Khosla's existing limited partnership stake in the 49ers must be divested because the Seahawks and 49ers are division rivals. League ownership rules generally prevent conflicting interests across competing teams. The divestment requirement is therefore a necessary part of the deal rather than a side issue. The timing and buyer for the 49ers stake have not been fully detailed in the public reporting and should not be assumed until confirmed by league or team documents.

Seattle's future location is not expected to change under the reported deal. AP reported that the Seahawks are slated to continue playing in Seattle, with a lease at Lumen Field running through 2032 and extension options. That detail matters because major franchise sales sometimes raise questions about stadium negotiations or relocation risk. The current source material does not support speculation that the franchise is moving. The confirmed public record is that the team has a lease in Seattle and that the incoming ownership group is seeking league approval to take over the franchise.

The next developments to watch are the NFL Finance Committee review, the expected late-August owners' meeting, formal approval of the ownership group, and the divestment of the Khosla family's 49ers stake. For now, the verified public record is that the Seahawks have agreed to be sold to the Khosla family for a reported record-setting price, with Neeru Khosla expected to serve as control owner and final approval still pending.

Fact-check date: 12 July 2026
Article type: News
Sources: AP, ESPN, CBS News, NBC Sports, Sportico, Boston Globe, NFL.com