LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Seattle Seahawks have officially been put up for sale, the club said on Wednesday, just weeks after the National Football League (NFL) franchise won the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks have been owned by the Allen family since 1997, when the club was purchased by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

His sister Jody has controlled the team since Paul’s death in 2018, and has long said that it would eventually be sold under her brother’s plans to give most of his wealth to charity.

“The Estate of Paul G. Allen today announced it has commenced a formal sale process for the Seattle Seahawks NFL franchise, consistent with Allen’s directive to eventually sell his sports holdings and direct all Estate proceeds to philanthropy,” said an official statement.

Talks with potential buyers are expected to continue through the 2026 off-season. NFL owners must then ratify a final purchase agreement.

The Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 earlier this month, to claim just their second Super Bowl win.

Shortly before the NFL championship decider, US media had reported that the sale was imminent and that talks “at ownership and league levels” had already begun.

The reports, citing anonymous NFL and Seahawks sources, claimed that the franchise was valued at $7 billion to $8 billion.

The franchise has been based in Seattle since it was founded in 1974. It was reportedly on the cusp of a controversial move to Los Angeles before it was bought by Allen in 1997.

Allen also purchased the Portland Trail Blazers NBA basketball team, which is currently being sold off by the family estate.