What Seattle Kraken does

Seattle Kraken is a professional National Hockey League expansion franchise based in Seattle, Washington, owned by Samantha Holloway. The team commenced play in the 2021-2022 season and operates from Climate Pledge Arena, which is now majority-owned by Holloway's newly created umbrella entity, One Roof Sports & Entertainment, following a 2026 transaction that shifted Oak View Group from a 50-50 equal partner to a significant minority stakeholder. The franchise serves Pacific Northwest hockey fans and regional advertisers through live game attendance, merchandise, and content distribution.

The core product is professional NHL hockey entertainment, distributed via the proprietary Kraken Hockey Network — a hybrid model combining over-the-air broadcasting through TEGNA with streaming on Prime Video. This model departs from traditional regional sports network (RSN) distribution, expanding territorial reach across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, and unlocking an advertiser pool estimated at 60-70% of total market revenue from regional and local brands. Underlying platform components include broadcast infrastructure, streaming integration, and venue operations at Climate Pledge Arena.

The business model is multi-revenue-stream: ticket sales, in-arena concessions and merchandise, media rights via the Kraken Hockey Network, corporate sponsorships, and increasingly, venue economics from majority arena ownership. Holloway has positioned the franchise for an NBA expansion bid (reported $7-10B franchise fees), with One Roof Sports & Entertainment serving as the vehicle for multi-sport, multi-asset consolidation. The organization is led by CEO Tod Leiweke, President of Hockey Operations Ron Francis, and Director of Player Personnel Norm Maciver.

Name

Seattle Kraken

Website

https://nhl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Seattle Kraken is an NHL expansion franchise based in Seattle, Washington, founded in 2020 and playing since 2021-22. Owned by Samantha Holloway via One Roof Sports & Entertainment, the team distributes games through the hybrid Kraken Hockey Network (TEGNA over-the-air and Prime Video streaming) across five states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Ice Hockey Leagues (MPAKAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB), National & Regional Sports TV Networks (Linear) (MPABAJAA), Sports Audio Rights & Live Game Audio Networks (MPABAJAK), Sports & Event Media Rights Licensing (MPADALAE), Sports Digital Audio Broadcasts (Live Radio, Play-by-Play, Podcasts) (MPAKAOAG)

Keywords

• Professional hockey franchise
• Sports entertainment
• Live game broadcasting
• Regional sports network
• Sports merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Distribution channels2 records

Core offering

Seattle Kraken is a professional National Hockey League (NHL) expansion franchise based in Seattle, Washington, providing live professional hockey games and sports entertainment at Climate Pledge Arena. The franchise operates the Kraken Hockey Network, a hybrid distribution model combining over-the-air broadcasting through TEGNA and streaming through Prime Video, reaching viewers across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. The team also generates revenue through ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships, and advertising.

Product overview

Seattle Kraken is a professional National Hockey League (NHL) franchise based in Seattle, Washington. The team operates as a sports entertainment organization, providing live professional hockey games, content distribution, and related fan experiences through its partnership with the NHL league infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live NHL Hockey Games
• Kraken Hockey Network
• TEGNA Over-the-Air Broadcast Distribution
• Prime Video Streaming Distribution
• Team Merchandise
• Regional Sports Advertising & Sponsorships

Quantifiable outcome

• Regional and local advertisers represent 60% to 70% of total market revenue in this distribution model

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• TEGNAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2026Seattle Kraken extended their broadcast partnership with TEGNA, utilizing the Kraken Hockey Network for over-the-air broadcasting. The partnership has expanded territorial coverage throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska, reaching viewers in markets without prior pro hockey history. This hybrid distribution model represents a departure from traditional RSN distribution.
• Oak View GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Kraken owner Samantha Holloway acquired a majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena through One Roof Sports & Entertainment. The ownership transition shifts Oak View Group from a 50-50 equal partner to a significant minority stakeholder while it continues to operate and book the venue.
• One Roof Sports & EntertainmentflagshipOthers · 1 March 2026Samantha Holloway created One Roof Sports & Entertainment as an umbrella brand consolidating operations. This move positions Holloway for an NBA expansion franchise bid, with the NBA Board of Governors expected to greenlight exclusive expansion talks for Seattle and Las Vegas at reported fees of $7B-$10B.
• Prime VideocoreTechnology or IntegrationSeattle Kraken partnered with Prime Video for streaming content as part of the Kraken Hockey Network hybrid distribution strategy, complementing the TEGNA over-the-air broadcast partnership.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Anaheim Ducks: NHL Pacific Division rival serving the Southern California market, which historically lacked deep hockey roots. Comparable as another NHL team building a fan base in a non-traditional hockey region.
• Vegas Golden Knights: Most recent NHL expansion team (joined 2017-18) and the closest comparable to the Kraken as a fellow modern expansion franchise. Both are non-traditional hockey markets building fan bases from scratch, and both have pursued innovative media and entertainment strategies.
• Utah Hockey Club: NHL's newest relocated franchise (formerly Arizona Coyotes), sharing the profile of a team in a non-traditional market still building a fan base. Comparable in market dynamics and expansion-era team economics.
• Vegas Golden Knights ownership / Black Knight Sports & Entertainment: Comparable to One Roof Sports & Entertainment as a multi-asset sports holding company structure around an NHL franchise and arena assets in a non-traditional market.

Regional players

• Seattle Sounders FC: Major League Soccer club based in Seattle, sharing the same Pacific Northwest market and Climate Pledge Arena-adjacent fan base. Comparable as another Seattle-based professional sports franchise navigating regional media and sponsorship dynamics.
• Seattle Seahawks: NFL franchise in Seattle competing for the same Pacific Northwest regional sports media dollars, sponsorships, and fan attention. Comparable in terms of regional market dynamics and corporate partnership competition.
• Seattle Mariners: MLB franchise sharing the Seattle market. Comparable as another major-league professional sports team competing for regional advertising and broadcast rights in the same geography.

Broad incumbents

• Prime Video (Amazon): Streaming partner for the Kraken Hockey Network. Comparable as a distribution platform partner for live sports content, and a broader industry reference point for how streaming services are reshaping sports media rights economics.
• TEGNA: Broadcast partner for the Kraken Hockey Network, providing over-the-air distribution across the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as the broadcast infrastructure partner enabling the Kraken's non-traditional distribution model.

Others

• Vegas Golden Knights / Oak View Group / Climate Pledge Arena: Oak View Group is a venue management and sports advisory firm that was a 50-50 partner in Climate Pledge Arena and continues to operate and book the venue. Comparable as a key operational partner and counterparty in the Kraken's arena and live events business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Seattle Kraken