Pro Football Rumors
Another billionaire has entered the fray to be the new owner of the Seahawks.
Todd Boehly, CEO of holding company Eldridge Industries, is considering a bid to own Seattle’s NFL team, per Semafor’s Liz Offman. The Seahawks would be the latest addition to Boehly’s extensive sports portfolio, which includes part-ownership in the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. He is also the co-owner and chairman of English soccer club Chelsea and majority owner of French soccer club Strasbourg.
Potential partners in Boehly’s bid include Mark Walker, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and co-owner of Chelsea and the Lakers, and unnamed investors in the Middle East.
Projections for the Seahawks’ sale price have fluctuated over the past several months. Initial expectations exceeded $10 billion immediately following the team’s Super Bowl win , but perceptions of a soft market dropped expectations to $7 billion by April. Bidding is now expected to approach $9 billion, which would still set a record for an NFL team’s sale, besting Josh Harris’ 2023 acquisition of the Commanders for $6 billion.
$9 billion would also be one of the highest purchase prices for any American sports team. The Lakers were sold for $10 billion last year. The exact amount of Boehly’s funding in that deal is unknown. He and Walker bought 27% of the team, placing their investment around $2.7 billion.
Other bidders for the Seahawks include a joint venture between Boston Celtics co-owners Aditya Mittal and Wyc Grousbeck and a group led by Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla. Adding Boehly into the mix could drive Seattle’s price up further. Formal bids are expected within the next month.
