The National Football League is more profitable than ever with a piece of stake in the NFL viewed as a lucrative investment among billionaires. As the Denver Broncos sale nears, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has clearly thought about what his team would get on the open market.
There is immense demand among the richest people in the United States for a stake in the NFL. When the deal for the Broncos’ ownership stake is finalized, likely being sold to $70 billion man Rob Walton, it will be the most money ever spent to buy a professional team ($4.5-$5 billion).
It’s especially noteworthy because of franchise values. When Forbes estimated NFL team values in 2021, the Broncos were 10th at $3.75 billion. For Denver’s NFL franchise to sell for at least $1 billion more than the estimated worth speaks to the interest of billionaires in joining this exclusive club.
Jones certainly notices. In an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports, the Cowboys’ owner talked about the reasons behind skyrocketing franchise values and what he believes his team in Dallas would be worth.
Knowing that franchises more prominent than the Broncos would likely sell for at least $7 billion, Jones told NBC Sports that he believes the Cowboys would sell for more than $10 billion.
While business consultant Marc Ganis disagreed with Jones, telling King that a Cowboys’ sale would likely come in between $8 to $8.5 billion, the most famous NFL owner might not be wrong.
Jones works directly with the league, playing a role in the NFL securing TV contacts worth more than $100 billion and having direct knowledge about future revenue from partnerships with sportsbooks and tech companies. Maybe the Cowboys might be worth $8.5 billion in 2022, but it could easily be more a year from now.
A billionaire wouldn’t just be buying into an exclusive club that envisions making $20-plus billion in NFL revenue every year. He would be taking over the Dallas Cowboys, one of the most marketable and famous teams in sports globally.
Will Jerry Jones sell the Dallas Cowboys?
The Broncos might not be the on;y NFL team sold. With the NFL investigating Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis, there is always the possibility of a forced sale.
Related: Why Dolphins’ owner Stephen Ross could be in jeopardy of removal by NFL
Of course, that’s not happening to Jones. He’s one of the most powerful men in the league and despite his rocky relationship with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, he is firmly in control of his franchise.
- Dallas Cowboys team value (Forbes): $6.5 billion in 2021
As for the possibility of selling the Cowboys, Jones made it quite clear that it won’t even be considered as long as he is alive.
But let me make this very clear. I’ll say it definitively. I will never do it. I will never sell the Cowboys. Ever.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on possibility of selling the team
Given how Jones runs the team, even when he passes away it likely wouldn’t be sold. Stephen Jones would presumably take over as majority owner and he likely wouldn’t go against his father’s wishes. Besides, there is likely far more money to be paid in the years to come by keeping the franchise and the family knows it.
We’ll likely never know exactly how much the team would go for in a potential sale. However, it’s a safe bet that when Forbes releases its updated franchise values later this year, the Cowboys will be worth a lot more than their 2021 listing.
