The global sports industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in the combined value of the world's 50 most valuable sports teams, reaching a staggering $222.7 billion. This represents a remarkable 30% increase compared to the previous year, marking the largest growth in five years. In this article, we will delve into the factors behind this surge and highlight the dominant presence of the National Football League (NFL) in the list, along with insights into other sports leagues.
The NFL's Dominance and Record-Breaking Success :
The NFL continues its reign as the dominant force in the world of sports, with an impressive presence of 30 out of 32 teams in the top 50, making up 60% of the list. This represents a significant increase from the previous year's count of 26 teams. Notably, the last time the NFL was represented by at least 30 teams in the top 50 was in 2014. In 2013, the league boasted a record 32 teams in the top 50.
The NFL's supremacy is primarily attributed to its lucrative media deal, valued at a staggering $112 billion through 2032, which has significantly contributed to the league's success. The Dallas Cowboys, valued at $8 billion, reign as the most valuable team since 2016. The top five also includes the New England Patriots ($6.4 billion), the Los Angeles Rams ($6.2 billion), and the New York Yankees and New York Giants (both valued at $6 billion).
The Changing Landscape of Other Sports Leagues :
In contrast to the NFL's dominance, representation from Major League Baseball (MLB) has been gradually declining since 2015 when it had 12 teams in the top 50. Over the years, MLB has had no more than eight teams listed, with only five making the cut in this year's edition. The most recent notable sale in MLB was the New York Mets, acquired for $2.42 billion in 2020.
Other sports leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL), Indian Premier League (IPL), and Major League Soccer (MLS) did not have teams featured in the top 50. The New York Rangers, valued at $2 billion, stand as the most valuable hockey team, while the Mumbai Indians, valued at $1.3 billion, hold the title for the most valuable cricket team.
Factors Influencing Enterprise Value :
Teams located in large and affluent markets tend to have an advantage in terms of enterprise value. California, with its significant population, houses the most sports teams of any state with a total of 15. Unsurprisingly, the state also boasts the highest number of teams in the top 50, with eight teams representing the second and sixth-largest media markets in the country, Los Angeles and the Bay Area, respectively.
Following California, England and New York emerge as the next leading regions, with each having four teams in the top 50. New York, with its expansive metropolitan area and a population surpassing Los Angeles by over six million, holds a prominent position in the sports landscape.
Conclusion :
The world's 50 most valuable sports teams have experienced extraordinary growth in 2022, propelled by the NFL's dominance and its groundbreaking media deal. As the NFL continues to solidify its position, other leagues face varying degrees of representation in the top 50. The landscape of sports teams' value is influenced by factors such as market size, media presence, and financial prowess. With the constant evolution of the sports industry, these rankings provide valuable insights into the ever-changing dynamics of global sports franchises.
World’s 50 Most Valuable Teams 2022
#1. $8 billion
DALLAS COWBOYS
Five-Year Change: 67% | Year Purchased: 1989 | Price Paid: $150 mil
Owner: Jerry Jones
dallas-cowboys-peyton-hendershot-by-Ron-Jenkins-AP-16x9
#2. $6.4 billion
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Five-Year Change: 73% | Year Purchased: 1994 | Price Paid: $172 mil
Owner: Robert Kraft
new-england-patriots-hunter-henry-by-Ashley-Landis-AP-1x1
#3. $6.2 billion
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Five-Year Change: 107% | Year Purchased: 2010 | Price Paid: $750 mil
Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke
los-angeles-rams-team-by-Brian-Rothmuller-Icon-Sportswire-Getty-Images-16x9
Los Angeles RamsBRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES
#4. $6 billion
NEW YORK YANKEES
Five-Year Change: 62% | Year Purchased: 1973 | Price Paid: $8.8 mil
Owner: Steinbrenner family
new-york-yankees-isiah-kiner-falefa-aaron-judge-by-Noah-K-Murray-AP-1x1
#4. $6 billion
NEW YORK GIANTS
Five-Year Change: 82% | Year Purchased: 1925, 1991 | Price Paid: $500, $150 mil
Owner: John Mara, Steven Tisch
new-york-giants-team-by-Fred-Kfoury-III-Icon-Sportswire-Getty-Images-16x9
#6. $5.8 billion
NEW YORK KNICKS
Five-Year Change: 76% | Year Purchased: 1997 | Price Paid: $300 mil
Owner: Madison Square Garden Sports
#6. $5.8 billion
CHICAGO BEARS
Five-Year Change: 104% | Year Purchased: 1920 | Price Paid: $100
Owner: McCaskey family
#8. $5.6 billion
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
Five-Year Change: 115% | Year Purchased: 2010 | Price Paid: $450 mil
Owner: Joe Lacob, Peter Guber
#8. $5.6 billion
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Five-Year Change: 81% | Year Purchased: 1999 | Price Paid: $750 mil
Owners: Daniel Snyder, Tanya Snyder
#10. $5.5 billion
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Five-Year Change: 83% | Year Purchased: 1979, 2021 | Price Paid: $20 mil, $5 bil
Owner: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Todd Boehly, Mark Walter
los-angeles-lakers-by-ashley-landis-AP-1x1
#11. $5.4 billion
NEW YORK JETS
Five-Year Change: 96% | Year Purchased: 2000 | Price Paid: $635 mil
Owner: Johnson family
#12. $5.2 billion
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Five-Year Change: 70% | Year Purchased: 1977 | Price Paid: $13 mil
Owners: Denise DeBartolo York, John York
#13. $5.1 billion
REAL MADRID
Five-Year Change: 42% | Year Purchased: N/A | Price Paid: N/A
Owner: Club members
#13. $5.1 billion
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Five-Year Change: 114% | Year Purchased: 1966 | Price Paid: $180,000
Owner: Mark Davis
#15. $5 billion
BARCELONA
Five-Year Change: 39% | Year Purchased: N/A | Price Paid: N/A
Owner: Club members
barcelona-robert-lewandowski-by-Joan-Monfort-AP-1x1
#16. $4.9 billion
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Five-Year Change: 85% | Year Purchased: 1994 | Price Paid: $185 mil
Owner: Jeffery Lurie
#17. $4.7 billion
HOUSTON TEXANS
Five-Year Change: 68% | Year Purchased: 1999 | Price Paid: $600 mil
Owner: Janice McNair
#18. $4.65 billion
DENVER BRONCOS
Five-Year Change: 79% | Year Purchased: 2022 | Price Paid: $4.5 bil
Owner: Rob Walton
#19. $4.6 billion
MANCHESTER UNITED
Five-Year Change: 24% | Year Purchased: 2005 | Price Paid: $1.4 bil
Owner: Glazer family
#19. $4.6 billion
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Five-Year Change: 79% | Year Purchased: 2009 | Price Paid: $1.1 bil
Owner: Stephen Ross
miami-dolphins-skylar-thompson-by-Eric-Espada-Getty-Images-16x9
#21. $4.5 billion
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Five-Year Change: 86% | Year Purchased: 1997 | Price Paid: $194 mil
Owner: Paul G. Allen Trust
#22. $4.45 billion
LIVERPOOL
Five-Year Change: 197% | Year Purchased: 2010 | Price Paid: $476 mil
Owner: John Henry, Thomas Werner
#23. $4.28 billion
BAYERN MUNICH
Five-Year Change: 58% | Year Purchased: N/A | Price Paid: N/A
Owner: Club members
#24. $4.25 billion
MANCHESTER CITY
Five-Year Change: 102% | Year Purchased: 2008 | Price Paid: $385 mil
Owner: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan
#24. $4.25 billion
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Five-Year Change: 67% | Year Purchased: 1921 | Price Paid: $100
Owner: Shareholders
green-bay-packers-ishmael-hyman-by-Charlie-Riedel-AP-16x9
#26. $4.08 billion
LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Five-Year Change: 48% | Year Purchased: 2012 | Price Paid: $2 bil
Owner: Guggenheim Baseball Management
#27. $4 billion
ATLANTA FALCONS
Five-Year Change: 62% | Year Purchased: 2002 | Price Paid: $545 mil
Owner: Arthur Blank
#28. $3.98 billion
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Five-Year Change: 62% | Year Purchased: 1933 | Price Paid: $2,500
Owner: Daniel Rooney Trust, Arthur Rooney II
#29. $3.93 billion
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Five-Year Change: 64% | Year Purchased: 2005 | Price Paid: $600 mil
Owner: Zygmunt Wilf
#30. $3.9 billion
BOSTON RED SOX
Five-Year Change: 44% | Year Purchased: 2002 | Price Paid: $380 mil
Owner: John Henry, Thomas Werner
boston-red-sox-xander-bogaerts-by-Michael-Dwyer-AP-16x9
#30. $3.9 billion
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Five-Year Change: 56% | Year Purchased: 2004 | Price Paid: $600 mil
Owner: Stephen Bisciotti
#32. $3.88 billion
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Five-Year Change: 70% | Year Purchased: 1984 | Price Paid: $72 mil
Owner: Dean Spanos
#33. $3.85 billion
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Five-Year Change: 97% | Year Purchased: 2012 | Price Paid: $987 mil
Owner: Dee and Jimmy Haslam
#34. $3.8 billion
CHICAGO CUBS
Five-Year Change: 42% | Year Purchased: 2009 | Price Paid: $700 mil
Owner: Ricketts family
chicago-cubs-hayden-wesneski-celebrates-by-Charles-Rex-Arbogast-AP-16x9
#34. $3.8 billion
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Five-Year Change: 60% | Year Purchased: 1972 | Price Paid: $14 mil
Owner: James Irsay
#36. $3.7 billion
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Five-Year Change: 76% | Year Purchased: 1960 | Price Paid: $25,000
Owner: Hunt family
#37. $3.68 billion
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Five-Year Change: 86% | Year Purchased: 1995 | Price Paid: $192 mil
Owner: Glazer family
#38. $3.65 billion
CHICAGO BULLS
Five-Year Change: 46% | Year Purchased: 1985 | Price Paid: $16.2 mil
Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf
#39. $3. 6billion
CAROLINA PANTHERS
Five-Year Change: 57% | Year Purchased: 2018 | Price Paid: $2.275 bil
Owner: David Tepper
carolina-panthers-baker-mayfield-runs-by-Jacob-Kupferman-AP-1x1
#40. $3.58 billion
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Five-Year Change: 79% | Year Purchased: 1985 | Price Paid: $70.2 mil
Owner: Gayle Benson
#41. $3.55 billion
BOSTON CELTICS
Five-Year Change: 61% | Year Purchased: 2002 | Price Paid: $360 mil
Owner: Wycliffe Grousbeck, Irving Grousbeck, Robert Epstein, Stephen Pagliuca
#42. $3.5 billion
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Five-Year Change: 32% | Year Purchased: 1993 | Price Paid: $100 mil
Owner: Greg Johnson
#42. $3.5 billion
TENNESSEE TITANS
Five-Year Change: 71% | Year Purchased: 1959 | Price Paid: $25,000
Owner: Amy Adams Strunk
#44. $3.48 billion
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Five-Year Change: 67% | Year Purchased: 2011 | Price Paid: $770 mil
Owner: Shahid Khan
jacksonville-jaguars-zay-jones-by-Phelan-M-Ebenhack-AP-1x1
#45. $3.4 billion
BUFFALO BILLS
Five-Year Change: 113% | Year Purchased: 2014 | Price Paid: $1.4 bil
Owner: Terry and Kim Pegula
#46. $3.3 billion
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
Five-Year Change: 65% | Year Purchased: 2014 | Price Paid: $2 bil
Owner: Steve Ballmer
#47. $3.27 billion
ARIZONA CARDINALS
Five-Year Change: 52% | Year Purchased: 1935 | Price Paid: $50,000
Owner: Michael Bidwill
#48. $3.2 billion
BROOKLYN NETS
Five-Year Change: 78% | Year Purchased: 2019 | Price Paid: $3.2 bil
Owner: Joseph Tsai
#48. $3.2 billion
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Five-Year Change: 280% | Year Purchased: 2011 | Price Paid: $100 mil
Owner: Qatar Sports Investment
paris-saint-germain-neymar-by-Aurelien-Morissard-AP-1x1
Paris Saint GermainAURELIEN MORISSARD/AP
#50. $3.1 billion
CHELSEA
Five-Year Change: 72% | Year Purchased: 2022 | Price Paid: $5.4 bil
Owner: Todd Boehly, Clearlake Capital