Forbes released its annual ranking of the 50 most valuable sports teams Wednesday, but not a single NHL franchise managed to crack the list.
NFL teams dominated with the Dallas Cowboys sitting at No. 1 with a valuation of $4.8 billion, a 14 per cent increase from their value one year prior. In fact, 29 of the NFL’s 32 teams made the list with the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions being the only omissions.
The Cleveland Browns, despite consistent on-field struggles, were the 50th-ranked team with a valuation of $1.95 billion—that’s $200 million more than the 50th-ranked team last year. By comparison, the New York Rangers were listed by Forbes in December as the NHL’s richest franchise with an estimated value of $1.5 billion.
The Rangers were one of four NHL teams with a valuation of at least $1 billion. Original Six franchises Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.4 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.25 billion) and Chicago Blackhawks ($1 billion) were the others.
Behind the Cowboys were soccer clubs Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona, while the New York Yankees rounded out the top five. Those five teams were in a class by themselves as the only teams with a price tag of $4 billion or greater.
The New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors were the top three NBA franchises coming in at seventh, eighth and 10th, respectively. The Houston Rockets’ value jumped 33 per cent in the past year (thanks in large part to the team being sold in September) which bumped them up 14 spots and into the top 50—the biggest jump up from any team on the list.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets were the only team in the top 50 whose value did not increase year-over-year. The team is still worth $2.75 billion but its ranking fell from 13th to 21st.
According to the report, the number of sports teams worldwide worth a minimum of $1 billion increased from 87 to 106 in the past year. The publication says its team values “reflect enterprise values (equity plus debt) based on current venue deals unless a new venue is pending.”
Here is the complete Forbes list:
1. Dallas Cowboys, $4.8 billion (NFL)
2. Manchester United, $4.123 billion (Soccer)
3. Real Madrid, $4.09 billion (Soccer)
4. Barcelona, $4.064 billion (Soccer)
5. New York Yankees, $4 billion (MLB)
6. New England Patriots, $3.7 billion (NFL)
7. New York Knicks, $3.6 billion (NBA)
8. Los Angeles Lakers, $3.3 billion (NBA)
8. New York Giants, $3.3 billion (NFL)
10. Golden State Warriors, $3.1 billion (NBA)
10. Washington Redskins, $3.1 billion (NFL)
12. Bayern Munich, $3.063 billion (Soccer)
13. San Francisco 49ers, $3.05 billion (NFL)
14. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3 billion (MLB)
14. Los Angeles Rams, $3 billion (NFL)
16. Chicago Cubs, $2.9 billion (MLB)
17. San Francisco Giants, $2.85 billion (MLB)
17. Chicago Bears, $2.85 billion (NFL)
19. Boston Red Sox, $2.8 billion (MLB)
19. Houston Texans, $2.8 billion (NFL)
21. New York Jets, $2.75 billion (NFL)
22. Philadelphia Eagles, $2.65 billion (NFL)
23. Chicago Bulls, $2.6 billion (NBA)
23. Denver Broncos, $2.6 billion (NFL)
25. Miami Dolphins, $2.575 billion (NFL)
26. Green Bay Packers, $2.55 billion (NFL)
27. Boston Celtics, $2.5 billion (NBA)
27. Baltimore Ravens, $2.5 billion (NFL)
29. Atlanta Falcons, $2.475 billion (NFL)
30. Manchester City, $2.474 billion (Soccer)
31. Pittsburgh Steelers, $2.45 billion (NFL)
32. Seattle Seahawks, $2.425 billion (NFL)
33. Minnesota Vikings, $2.4 billion (NFL)
34. Oakland Raiders, $2.38 billion (NFL)
35. Indianapolis Colts, $2.375 billion (NFL)
36. Brooklyn Nets, $2.3 billion (NBA)
36. Carolina Panthers, $2.3 billion (NFL)
38. Los Angeles Chargers, $2.275 billion (NFL)
39. Arsenal, $2.238 billion (Soccer)
40. Houston Rockets, $2.2 billion (NBA)
41. Los Angeles Clippers, $2.15 billion (NBA)
41. Arizona Cardinals, $2.15 billion (NFL)
43. New York Mets, $2.1 billion (MLB)
43. Kansas City Chiefs, $2.1 billion (NFL)
45. Jacksonville Jaguars, $2.075 billion (NFL)
46. Chelsea, $2.062 billion (Soccer)
47. Tennessee Titans, $2.05 billion (NFL)
48. New Orleans Saints, $2 billion (NFL)
49. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $1.975 billion (NFL)
50. Cleveland Browns, $1.95 billion (NFL)
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