Seahawks sale shows the supply of big-ticket buyers remains viable

The legalization of sports betting provides an extra boost to already rocketing NFL franchise values. It sparked concerns that, in time, the NFL may have to rethink its rules for franchise ownership.

>As explained by Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal, the sale of the Seattle Seahawks has not brought those concerns to fruition.

>Even with the prior record price shattered by more than 50 percent, with $6.05 billion in 2023 for the Commanders spiking to $9.612 million for the Seahawks only three years later, they still found a buyer that won't require the current rules to be modified.

>Fischer reports that the group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla presents "no need for policy waivers or an unwieldy number of limited partners." While the full membership is still coming together, Fischer reports that it is a "tidy" number.

>Increasing franchise values have yet to create problems for the league because, as an unnamed source told Fischer, “There are so many fucking billionaires."

>That includes people who can come up with 30 percent of the full price (for Khosla, that's $2.88 billion) and limited partners who'll kick in multiple hundred million without blinking.

>Allowing pre-approved private equity funds to buy 10 percent of a team has helped, as has increased debt limits. Still, if the values keep going up and up (and up), there will be a time when it will be very hard to find someone who can write a check for 30 percent of the amount — and who will.