Opening bids in the billionaire battle to buy the Seattle Seahawks were due on Monday, according to a new report.
In what is expected to be the biggest-ever deal for an NFL franchise, surpassing the $6.05 billion that the Washington Commanders sold for in 2023, three potential new owners have emerged.
Bloomberg reports that the candidates include a group led by Aditya Mittal, the CEO of steel firm ArcelorMittal, and former Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.
There is also believed to be a separate offer from billionaire Vinod Khosla, who owns a minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers.
Billionaire financier Todd Boehly, who has stakes in the Los Angeles Lakers and Premier League giants Chelsea, is also reportedly heading up a bid from another group.
The Super Bowl champions have been in the Allen family since 1997, when Paul Allen bought the team for $194million from then-owner Ken Behring.
Billionaires Aditya Mittal and Vinod Khosla are reportedly preparing bids to buy the Seahawks
The NFL franchise was officially put up for sale just days after winning the Super Bowl
Owner Jody Allen (left) took responsibility for Seattle after the death of her brother in 2018
But the co-founder of Microsoft died in 2018 from complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 65.
Allen’s sister, Jody, has led the Seahawks and the NBA team he owned, the Portland Trail Blazers, since his death. But Allen left a directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all estate proceeds to philanthropy.
The Trail Blazers were sold last September to an investment group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon for around $4bn.
The Seahawks were officially put up for sale just days after Sam Darnold led them to victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, with the team valued at nearly $7billion.
Reports at the time claimed that the Seahawks were expected to be sold at a record price for any franchise in sports history.
The most expensive US sports team in history is the Los Angeles Lakers, who were sold last year by the Buss family to Mark Walker last June for around $10bn.