A new chapter in sports business history is about to be written. An ownership group led by Indian-American entrepreneur and Vinod Khosla has agreed to purchase the Seattle Seahawks in a deal reportedly valued at $9.612 billion. If the transaction receives the required approval from NFL owners, it will become the largest sale of an NFL franchise ever, comfortably surpassing the previous record of $6.05 billion, paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.

Vinod Khosla is best known as the co-founder of Sun Microsystems and the founder of Khosla Ventures, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms. Over the years, he has backed some of the world’s most successful technology companies, making him one of the most respected investors in the industry. The Seahawks acquisition marks his biggest move yet into professional sports ownership and reflects the soaring value of NFL franchises, which have become some of the most coveted assets in global business.

The Seahawks were previously owned by the estate of Paul Allen, which began the sale process in accordance with Allen’s wishes after his death in 2018. The proposed transaction still requires approval from the NFL’s owners before it becomes official, and as part of league rules, Khosla is expected to divest his minority stake in the San Francisco 49ers.

The record-breaking price highlights just how dramatically the economics of professional sports have changed. A franchise that Paul Allen purchased for $194 million in 1997 is now poised to sell for nearly $10 billion, underscoring the explosive growth in media rights, sponsorships, merchandising, and the NFL’s global commercial appeal.