Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers de facto owner Jody Allen says the two franchises will eventually be up for sale, but not for at least another 10 years.
“There is no preordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,” said Allen. “Until then, my focus — and that of our teams — is on winning.”
- The Blazers are the 13th-most valuable NBA franchise at $2.05 billion, per Forbes.
- The Seahawks are valued at $3.5 billion, the 12th-most valuable NFL team.
Allen — who became owner of the two franchises in 2018 through a trust after the death of her brother, Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen — has received buyer interest in one of the teams.
In June, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Alan Smolinsky submitted an offer to buy the Blazers for more than $2 billion, according to ESPN.
MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has also expressed interest.
Lucrative Opportunity
Allen’s decision to sell the two franchises at some point down the road should prove to be a lucrative one, as the value of professional sports teams continue to soar, particularly in the U.S.
Last month, a group led by Walmart heir Rob Walton agreed to purchase the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion — the most ever spent for a U.S. team and second-most for any pro sports team. The top spot goes to Chelsea FC, which was sold in May for $5.4 billion.
