The NFL Dominates the Ranking of the Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World
The most valuable sports teams in the world include 30 NFL teams — and only five MLB teams — according to a new ranking. See the top teams here.
Sept. 13 2022, Published 10:38 a.m. ET
Three European football teams topped Forbes’ list of the most valuable sports teams in the world back in 2013, but in the 2022 ranking released earlier this month, four American football teams come out on top.
In fact, the National Football League (NFL) comprises 60 percent of the list — with all but two of its 32 teams making the top 50 — thanks in large part to an 11-year media deal the league cut with CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and Amazon last year, which was worth more than $110 billion.
Meanwhile, Major League Baseball (MLB) has been receding from the ranking, with only five teams on the 2022 list, compared to the 12 it had on the list in 2015. The MLB has more teams on the 2022 list than the English Premier League, which has four, but fewer than the National Basketball Association (NBA), which has seven.
Together, the world’s 50 most valuable sports teams are worth $222.7 billion, 30 percent more than the total worth of the top 50 teams last year.
Here are details on the top five:
4. New York Giants: $6 billion (tie)
The New York Giants are the oldest NFL teams in the Northeast, playing their first season in 1920. Since that debut, the Giants have won eight NFL championships and appeared in the championships 22 times, more times any other NFL team. Owned by John Mara and Steven Tisch, the Giants have gained 82 percent in value over the last five years, per Forbes.
4. New York Yankees: $6 billion (tie)
The New York Yankees have been controlled by the Steinbrenner family for nearly 50 years now: The late George Steinbrenner bought the team in 1973. Though the Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009, it is the winningest MLB team in World Series history, with 27 victories. Forbes reports the Yankees’ value has risen 62 percent in the last five years.
3. Los Angeles Rams: $6.2 billion
The Los Angeles Rams’ value has more than doubled in the last five years, rising 107 percent. That must be good news to Stan Kroenke, who owns the team through his holding company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. The Rams have won the NFL championship for three cities, winning for Cleveland in 1945, St. Louis in 1999, and Los Angeles in 1951 and 2021.
2. New England Patriots: $6.4 billion
The New England Patriots may not have star quarterback Tom Brady anymore, but they do have a value that has risen 73 percent over five years. Owned by billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, the Patriots claim the record of the most NFL championships of the Super Bowl era, with victories in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
1. Dallas Cowboys: $8 billion
Under the ownership of oil businessman Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys’ value is 67 percent higher than it was five years ago and double when it was seven years ago. The Cowboys have also been Forbes’ pick of the most valuable sports team in the world since 2016. Pretty good for a team that hasn’t even appeared in a Super Bowl since 1995!
