Most Profitable NFL Teams: Ranking the NFL’s Biggest Revenue Generators
- The Dallas Cowboys dominate as the most profitable NFL team for the 19th year in a row
- The Las Vegas Raiders thrive after relocating, now ranking second
- Bet big on the league’s top franchises at the BetUS Sportsbook
Who are America’s most profitable NFL teams? The answers may seem obvious as a certain Jerry Jones-owned franchise leads the way. The Dallas Cowboys have been the top NFL team in making money. That’s not the same for their on-field results. But they are not called “America’s Team” just for fun. Dallas leads and holds a sizable gap over the rest of its competitors.
What NFL Team Makes the Most Money?
The Cowboys are the most profitable NFL team for the 19th straight year. It doesn’t matter how disappointing the Cowboys have been every postseason because they brought in an estimated $1.14 billion in annual NFL revenue in 2023. This is almost double what the Las Vegas Raiders, the second-placed team, made: $729 million.
These earnings are an estimation compiled by the JP Morgan Asset Management via business magazine, Forbes. Dallas made money via media deals, ticket sales, team merchandise, and sponsorship deals. The Cowboys remain ever-present in the American consciousness. This helps it stay as the highest-grossing NFL team regardless of its competence on the field.
Speaking of a disparity in terms of profitability and on-field productivity, the Raiders are one of the most profitable NFL franchises. Moving to Las Vegas turned out to be a no-brainer as the city is booming economically, which has also led to the most expensive NFL team tickets on average. Las Vegas does boast one of the most hi-tech stadiums, Allegiant Stadium, which just hosted Super Bowl LVIII.
How Much Does an NFL Team Make Per Year?
The Cowboys and Raiders are two of the NFL’s most valuable teams for the 2024 season. They won’t win the Super Bowl or even make the playoffs. But they’ve generated nearly half of what the league made in 2022-23, which is $20 billion. The average NFL team made $545 million, which is what the Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns, and Indianapolis Colts all produced in NFL team revenue.
The Los Angeles Rams, which made $686 million, is listed as the third-most profitable NFL team but is the second-most valuable NFL franchise. The New England Patriots rank fourth in profitability at $684 million with the New York Giants rounding out the top five with $639 million.
The Detroit Lions came in last in terms of earnings at just under half a billion at $495 million. However, the Lions still generated more revenue than every one of the most valuable sports franchises from the NBA to the MLB.
The Kansas City Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champions, ranked 22nd with $54 million in profits. However, this may bump up due to the influence of Taylor Swift, who associated herself with the brand thanks to a star tight end: Travis Kelce. Indeed, the global icon should have helped increase the NFL team’s profits alongside the league’s.
How Much Money Does the NFL Make?
The NFL made a cool $20 billion in revenue in 2023, which is an increase of almost $2 billion from 2022. We can thank the Cowboys and the NFL’s most profitable teams (all of them) for continuing to make the league rich and thus producing more overpaid quarterbacks for fans to whine about.
But in seriousness, the NFL continuing to make exorbitant amounts of cash should be good for the growth of professional football. Old-timers might argue the game’s quality has decreased but you only need to watch the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson to feel that there is far more skill, strategy, and complexity in today’s NFL.
Fans can watch and bet on the world’s most valuable sports franchises. This can further contribute to the growth of NFL teams’ revenue each year.
One thing remains certain: the NFL is the king of professional sports.
