The Philadelphia Eagles are not for sale, but the NFL’s latest ownership agreement may have dramatically changed how the franchise is valued.
The estate of Paul Allen has reached an agreement to sell the Seattle Seahawks to the Khosla family and limited partners for $9.612 billion, subject to league review and approval. If finalized, the deal would shatter the NFL record set when Josh Harris’ group purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion in 2023. It would also provide the clearest sign yet that elite NFL franchises are worth far more on the open market than annual valuation lists may suggest.
That matters in Philadelphia because the Eagles were already among the league’s most valuable teams. Sportico valued the franchise at $8.43 billion, sixth in the NFL, after Jeffrey Lurie previously agreed to sell small minority stakes at a valuation just north of $8.3 billion. The Philadelphia Inquirer also noted that the Eagles’ valuation followed minority-stake transactions tied to Lurie’s franchise.
The Seahawks' number changes the conversation. Sportico had valued Seattle at $6.59 billion, but the agreed sale price is nearly 46% higher than that figure. Apply even part of that premium to the Eagles, and Philadelphia’s value quickly moves past $9 billion. Apply the full open-market premium, and the Eagles could reasonably be viewed as a franchise worth more than $12 billion in a full-control sale scenario.
That does not mean Lurie is looking to sell. He reportedly maintained control of 85% of the franchise after the minority transactions, and there has been no indication he plans to divest further. Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994 for a reported $185 million, then a record price for a sports franchise. Three decades later, that investment has become one of the most valuable ******* ets in professional sports.
The estate of Paul Allen has reached an agreement to sell the Seattle Seahawks to the Khosla family and limited partners for $9.612 billion, subject to league review and approval. If finalized, the deal would shatter the NFL record set when Josh Harris’ group purchased the Washington Commanders for $6.05 billion in 2023. It would also provide the clearest sign yet that elite NFL franchises are worth far more on the open market than annual valuation lists may suggest.
That matters in Philadelphia because the Eagles were already among the league’s most valuable teams. Sportico valued the franchise at $8.43 billion, sixth in the NFL, after Jeffrey Lurie previously agreed to sell small minority stakes at a valuation just north of $8.3 billion. The Philadelphia Inquirer also noted that the Eagles’ valuation followed minority-stake transactions tied to Lurie’s franchise.
The Seahawks' number changes the conversation. Sportico had valued Seattle at $6.59 billion, but the agreed sale price is nearly 46% higher than that figure. Apply even part of that premium to the Eagles, and Philadelphia’s value quickly moves past $9 billion. Apply the full open-market premium, and the Eagles could reasonably be viewed as a franchise worth more than $12 billion in a full-control sale scenario.
That does not mean Lurie is looking to sell. He reportedly maintained control of 85% of the franchise after the minority transactions, and there has been no indication he plans to divest further. Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994 for a reported $185 million, then a record price for a sports franchise. Three decades later, that investment has become one of the most valuable ******* ets in professional sports.
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