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NFL owners approved a record $9.612bn sale of the Seattle Seahawks to the Khosla family. MotoGP promoted Carlos Ezpeleta to deputy chief executive. LIV Golf laid off most of its staff as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund ended its funding.
NFL owners approve record Seahawks sale
National Football League (NFL) owners voted unanimously on Wednesday 26 August to approve the $9.612bn (about £7.1bn) sale of the Seattle Seahawks, commissioner Roger Goodell announced. The price is a record for an NFL franchise and tops the $6.05bn paid for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
The team passes from the estate of Paul G. Allen to a group led by Vinod Khosla. Jody Allen, Paul Allen’s sister, had run the Seahawks since Allen died in 2018. The estate agreed the sale on 11 July and needed approval from at least 24 of the 32 owners.
Khosla, 71, co-founded Sun Microsystems and founded the venture firm Khosla Ventures. He held a limited-partner stake in the San Francisco 49ers and must give it up to take control of the Seahawks. His wife, Neeru, and son, Neal, are part of the ownership group.
Paul Allen bought the Seahawks for $194m in 1997. The team won Super Bowl LX in February, its second NFL title. Khosla said the task was to “keep the winning streak alive”.
MotoGP promotes Carlos Ezpeleta to deputy CEO
MotoGP promoted Carlos Ezpeleta to Deputy Chief Executive on Tuesday 25 August, the series said. Ezpeleta, 35, moves up from sporting director and has worked at the championship for more than a decade. His father, Carmelo Ezpeleta, remains CEO.
Liberty Media owns MotoGP’s commercial rights holder, Dorna Sports, after completing a majority acquisition in July 2025. Derek Chang, Liberty Media’s CEO, said MotoGP had built a strong global foundation and that Ezpeleta would help lead its next phase.
MotoGP has not named a replacement for Ezpeleta’s former role.
LIV Golf cuts most of its staff as PIF funding ends
LIV Golf laid off most of its staff on Wednesday 26 August as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) ended its funding, the tour said. Staff in the United States and United Kingdom were told their roles end in the first week of September.
PIF has put more than $5bn into LIV since 2022 and said in April it would stop funding after the 2026 season. That season ended on 23 August in Indianapolis, a week early, after the team championship in Michigan was cancelled.
LIV is seeking outside investment to fund what it calls “LIV 2.0”, led by chief executive Scott O’Neil.
Snapshot Moves
The University of Alaska Anchorage named Michael Bazemore its Director of Athletics, the Anchorage Daily News reported on 26 August.
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Catch up on last week’s Sideline Moves to read who FIFA removed as chief operating officer.
