Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos interested in NFL's Seattle Seahawks: Report
The e-commerce giant is headquartered in Seattle.
Fox News reporter Dan Springer discusses Amazon’s efforts to make Seattle more business-friendly.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ rumored interest in buying an NFL franchise is centered on his company’s hometown team, according to a report on Thursday.
Bezos, who has a personal net worth of more than $111 billion, has expressed interest in buying the Seattle Seahawks, the Washington Post reported, citing a source familiar with the league’s thinking. It’s unclear whether Bezos’ interest has progressed to actual discussions with the franchise and the Amazon CEO has not publicly commented on the situation. Amazon is headquartered in Seattle.
Regardless of Bezos' apparent interest, the Seahawks are not for sale, a source with knowledge of the situation told FOX Business.
The NFL declined to comment on the matter. Representatives for the team’s parent company, Vulcan Sports & Entertainment, and Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Bezos already has the support of some NFL owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, according to the report.
“I’m sure that, eventually, it would be in everyone’s best interests if someone that’s as community-oriented as [Bezos] gets involved in the Seattle situation,” Kraft told the Post.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen owned the Seahawks from 1997 until his death in Oct. 2018 after a bout with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Since then, the Paul G. Allen Trust has managed the franchise, with Allen’s sister, Jody, serving as Seahawks chairman.
The Seahawks are valued at roughly $2.8 billion, according to Forbes’ most recent calculations. The Carolina Panthers set the NFL record for the largest acquisition price after hedge fund magnate David Tepper acquired the team for $2.3 billion in 2018.
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The Seahawks are one of several teams linked to Bezos in recent days. The Washington Redskins denied ties to Bezos earlier this week after a CBS Sports report said the Amazon CEO had spent “considerable” time with current owner Dan Snyder in recent days. The report said that Bezos, who recently moved to Washington and owns the Washington Post, could partner with Snyder to pursue a building a stadium for the Redskins.
“The franchise is not for sale and there is no truth behind the suggestion that Bezos could partner with Mr. Snyder on efforts to build a new stadium or buy a stake in the team,” a Redskins spokesman had told FOX Business. “Mr. Snyder hasn’t seen Jeff Bezos in nearly a decade.”
Bezos attended Super Bowl LII last February and watched the game with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.