The Dallas Cowboys top Forbes’ annual list of the world’s most valuable sports franchises at $5.7 billion, an increase of 43 percent in the past five years.
Next on the list, released Friday, were the New York Yankees ($5.3 billion), with the New York Knicks ($5 billion) and European soccer clubs Barcelona ($4.76 billion) and Real Madrid ($4.75 billion) rounding out the list.
“The top 50 highest-earning teams span from just four sports, which is indicative of which leagues have been most successful at deriving value from their IP (intellectual property),” said Mike Ozanian, the publication’s assistant managing editor. “Media rights are still the single biggest determinant of each league’s representation on the top-50 list.”
The top-50 list is made up of 26 NFL teams, nine from the NBA, nine soccer teams and six MLB franchises.
Despite the global pandemic that disrupted the sports world in 2020, the average value of the 50 most valuable sports teams grew 9.9 percent over the past year, Forbes reported. They continue to grow in value for owners such as Jerry Jones, who bought the Cowboys in 1989 for $150 million, and the Steinbrenner family, owners of the Yankees since patriarch George Steinbrenner purchased the franchise for $8.8 million in 1973.
Filling out the top 10 on the list were the Golden State Warriors ($4.7 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($4.6 billion), New England Patriots ($4.4 billion), New York Giants ($4.3 billion) and Bayern Munich ($4.21 billion).
–Field Level Media