Sixth Street Partners and a consortium comprising Carlyle Group and Dynasty Equity are among the private equity investors joining the ownership group behind the $9.6bn acquisition of the Seattle Seahawks by the Khosla family, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The deal was unanimously approved by NFL owners on Wednesday, with the investment firms joining a group led by technology investor Vinod Khosla and his family. The transaction values the Seahawks at approximately $9.6bn and ranks among the largest deals in professional sports.
The NFL has restricted team investments to a small group of approved private equity firms with Arctos Partners, Ares Management, and Ludis the other three authorised investors.
Sixth Street already has exposure to the NFL, having acquired a 3% stake in the New England Patriots. The firm was among the first approved private equity investors to deploy capital under the league’s new ownership framework.
The NFL voted in 2024 to allow institutional investors to acquire passive minority stakes in teams, subject to strict limits. Private equity firms can own up to 10% of an individual franchise and can invest in a maximum of six teams.
