The National Football League’s (NFL) Dallas Cowboys have increased their valuation by 12 per cent year-over-year (YoY) to US$10.32 billion, according to Sportico.
Confirmed:
- Cowboys once again top Sportico’s rankings
- Los Angeles Rams climb one place to second with US$7.79 billion valuation, up 12 per cent YoY
- New York Giants slip to third at US$7.65 billion
- New England Patriots (US$7.31 billion) and San Francisco 49ers (US$6.86 billion) complete top five
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers see biggest increase in valuation, rising 33 per cent to US$5.5 billion
- Washington Commanders (US$6.3 billion) and Chicago Bears (US$6.26 billion) see lowest YoY increases in valuation at four per cent each
Context:
The Cowboys may not have won a Super Bowl since 1996 but that clearly hasn’t affected their commercial value. Indeed, a SponsorUnited study put the Cowboys top in total sponsorship revenue last season, with NFL teams pulling in a collective US$2.35 billion.
The Cowboys’ latest valuation means they become the first sports team to break the US$10 billion barrier in Sportico’s annual list. All told, the average NFL franchise is now worth US$5.93 billion, up 15 per cent on 2023. The 32 franchises are collectively worth US$190 billion, including team-related businesses and real estate held by owners.
Further highlighting the NFL’s commercial dominance is its franchise with the lowest valuation. The Cincinnati Bengals may be bottom at US$4.71 billion but they still managed to increase their valuation by 18 per cent YoY and their value is at a level only 15 non-NFL teams worldwide are worth.
Coming next:
The NFL is close to changing its rules to allow private equity firms to take stakes in franchises, which is set to drive up valuations at an even faster rate.
