Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is negotiating to sell a minority stake in the team to a family that owns a technology firm, according to a report.
Susan Y. Kim, the executive chair of Arizona-based Amkor Technology, is in talks with Lurie on buying a piece of the team in a deal that would value the franchise at $8 billion or more, according to Bloomberg News.
That would place the Eagles as the NFL’s second most valuable franchise behind its longtime NFC East rival the Dallas Cowboys, which according to Forbes are worth $9.2 billion.
The Eagles deal would likewise unseat the New York Yankees as the second-most valuable club in professional sports with an estimated worth of $7.1 billion.
It is unclear what size stake in the Eagles Lurie is willing to sell. Lurie has reportedly made clear to any potential suitor that any transaction would not include a path to a controlling stake, according to the report.
Lurie, a Boston native who amassed wealth as founder of a film production company, has controlled the Eagles since 1994, when he paid $195 million for the team.
Under Lurie’s ownership, the Eagles won their first-ever Super Bowl title in 2018. The club has also boasted numerous appearances in the playoffs, including several trips to the NFC Championship Game.
Susan Y. Kim succeeded her father, James Kim, as executive chair of Amkor on Thursday.
The Kim family owns 50.2% of the company, which boasts a market capitalization of $6.8 billion, according to Bloomberg News.
James Kim, who founded Amkor’s predecessor, Amkor Electronics in 1968, is also founder of Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp, which was acquired by GameStop in 2005 for around $1.4 billion.
In June, Bloomberg News reported that Lurie, who is said to have a net worth valued by Bloomberg Billionaires Index at $6.1 billion, was exploring the sale of a minority stake in the team.
The news agency reported that Lurie retained the services of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank, for the purposes of finding a buyer.
The Post has sought comment from Amkor and the Eagles.
Last year, Forbes compiled a list of the most valuable professional teams in sports.
Behind the Cowboys and the Yankees, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors ($7 billion), the NFL’s New England Patriots ($7 billion) and the Los Angeles Rams ($6.9 billion) round out the top five.
In April, another NFL team, the Buffalo Bills, announced that its owner, oil and gas mogul Terry Pegula, was interested in possibly selling a minority, non-controlling stake in the team.
A growing number of NFL owners are expected to show willingness to sell off pieces of their clubs after the league recently approved new rules allowing private equity firms to acquire up to 10% of a non-controlling interest.
The NFL permitted standalone firms Arctos Partners, Ares Management Corporation and Sixth Street, plus a consortium of five funds — Blackstone, Carlyle, CVC, Dynasty Equity and Ludis — to buy pieces of any of its 32 franchises.
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