Professional sport is big business, and anyone telling you otherwise is misinformed. Gone are the days where sports were played for sport’s sake; today’s professional leagues are full of teams and franchises that are huge businesses, enjoying astronomical revenue and being known the world over.
The five most valuable sports teams globally have a combined value of an incredible $25.46 billion! Three are American sports franchises, with two of the top five being European soccer giants. Who are those five massive teams? Let us find out.
Dallas Cowboys – $5.7 Billion
The Dallas Cowboys have competed in the National Football League (NFL) since joining as an expansion team in 1960 and have reached eight Super Bowls; only the New England Patriots, with 11 appearances, have more. It is unlikely they will add a ninth Super Bowl to their records this season because the latest online NFL Vegas odds price them as the 13th favorites.
The Cowboys enjoyed 190 consecutive sell-out crowds from 2002, with fans flocking to see their team in action. 2014 saw the Cowboys generate $620 million in revenue, a record for a U.S. sports team. Forbes valued the Cowboys at $4 billion in 2015. That valuation is now an almost unbelievable $5.7 billion.
New York Yankees – $5.25 Billion
Baseball’s New York Yankees come in second place with a valuation of $5.25 billion, a 54 percent increase from only five years ago. The Steinbrenner family purchased the franchise in 1973 for $8.8 million, so they have enjoyed a remarkable return on their investment.
The Yankees began playing in the MLB, the top-flight baseball league in the United States, back in 1901 and became the most successful baseball team in American history. At the time of writing, the Yankees have played 18,581 games and won 10,529 of those, for a 56.8% winning percentage!
Among those 10,529 victories are a record-breaking 27 World Series titles, which they won from a record 40 World Series games. Only the St. Louis Cardinals can get close to the Yankees in this regard. The Cardinals have 11 World Series titles from 19 appearances.
New York Knicks – $5 Billion
Staying with America but switching over to basketball because the New York Knicks are the third most valuable sports team globally. Forbes values the Knicks at $5 billion, a hefty return on the $300 million Madison Square Garden Sports paid for the franchise in 1997.
The Knicks were one of the founding members of professional basketball in the United States and are one of only two original NBA teams still located in their original city; the Boston Celtics are the other.
You have to go back to 1973 to see when the Knicks last won the NBA Championship, but they are still one of the most attended teams in the NBA, such is the loyalty of their legion of fans.
FC Barcelona – $4.76 Billion
FC Barcelona is the first non-American sports team to feature in this top five list. The Spanish football giant (soccer to our American cousins) is worth a reported $4.76 billion. Barcelona is the second most successful Spanish team with 26 titles and 26 runner-up finishes.
The Catalan team attracts the biggest stars to its roster. However, years of overspending are finally catching up with Barcelona. Its latest financial figures show it spends 103% of its generated revenue on eagles alone. Furthermore, the club’s president informed the press the club is drowning in €1.35 billion of debt ($1.58 billion).
Real Madrid – $4.75 Billion
Real Madrid is the most successful Spanish football team thanks to its impressive record of 34 La Liga titles and 24 second-place finishes. Real has also won the coveted Champions League a record 13 times.
Forbes values Real Madrid at $4.75 billion thanks, in part, to it generating more than $4 billion in annual revenue. Like Barcelona, Real Madrid has astronomical sums of debt; it owes approximately €901 million ($1.059 billion), but it is a much better financial state thanks to its wages to turnover ratio being closer to 60%.
