A Semi-Serious Explanation of the Most Valuable Sports Franchises

· May 27 - 6 minutes read

Congratulations, Dallas Cowboys fans! Your franchise is once again the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Sportico released its annual “Most Valuable Sports Franchises” list and the Jerry Jones-owned club topped the list at $9.2 billion. This is as unsurprising as Dallas choking in the playoffs. The novelty odds had Dallas as a wide favorite at -450 to top the list.

So who cares about winning the Super Bowl or being the most consistently upsetting franchise? Your diehard dedication to “America’s Team” has made the rich even richer! But you’re not alone. These other franchises cracked the top 10.

A Semi-Serious Explanation of the Most Valuable Sports Franchises — Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys | Ron Jenkins/Getty Images/AFP

The top 100 most valuable sports teams in the world cover 6 sports and 10 leagues around the world.

They are collectively worth $405 billion, including team-related businesses and real estate held by owners.

There are 22 clubs worth at least $5 billion, and the cutoff for the… pic.twitter.com/xBv1nFuiVK

— Sportico (@Sportico) February 21, 2024

Now, we’ll give our semi-serious explanations of why these franchises are the richest.

The 10 Richest Sports Franchises

Suppose you wanted an oversimplified explanation of how the Cowboys or Golden State Warriors are this rich. In that case, it can be boiled down to three things: America, big American cities, and bandwagoners. It’s predictable to see the top 10 filled with 1) big city football teams; and 2) American sports franchises. Sorry, “football” fans outside of North America.

Here’s a look at some Vegas NFL Odds to consider!

Dallas Cowboys – $9.2 Billion

America’s Team hit its zenith in the 1990s. While the rest of the world cheered for Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in basketball, Americans rode the Cowboys. Dallas won three Super Bowls and produced all-time greats like Troy Aikman and Denzel Washington.

Golden State Warriors – $8.28 Billion

The Warriors put the “Golden” in Golden State. This is obvious, what with the team being located in the adult entertainment capital of the world: Silicone Valley. We won’t promote this growing addiction among folks. But it’s the elephant in the room. Google it. Other than that, you can find global superstars like Stephen Curry shooting lights out of the arena.

New York Knicks – $7.43 Billion

We’re as surprised as you are that this franchise, notorious for making grown men cry, is third all-time. The Yankees are not far behind and the Giants and Jets are somewhere down this list. But why the Knicks? A combination of media rights and sponsorships. Frankly, we’d be nervous flying on any airline that supports the Knicks.

Los Angeles Lakers – $7.34 Billion

The Knicks outvaluing the Lakers despite having 16 fewer championships and no LeBron James or Kobe Bryant is a bigger upset than Darvin Ham landing the head coaching gig in 2022. We blame the bandwagoning Filipinos. Half of them jumped to the Warriors. Maybe if the Charlotte Hornets became great (we laughed typing this), they can make that a top-10 franchise.

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New York Yankees – $7.13 Billion

The Yankees landed fifth on the list despite having a lot more wins and championships than everyone else. But let’s be honest: most people under the age of 40 would rather watch Judge Judy than see Aaron Judge smash balls out of the park. The fact that the Yankees are here means this franchise matters more than the entire sport.

Smashing Baseballs. Smashing Records. @TheJudge44 👨‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/N08H38afYg

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2024

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New York Giants – $7.04 Billion

Tom Brady’s pimp’s franchise has struggled as of late. The Giants also lost Saquon Barkley, its best player. And our NFL odds have the team winning under five games. Ouch. On top of that, playing in MetLife Stadium is akin to being a gladiator in the Coliseum. But hey, it’s New York (New Jersey).

Los Angeles Rams – $6.94 Billion

The Rams play in a fictional city where the ruling class is filled with pretentious sports fans. The real fans live outside in tents. That said, SoFi Stadium is the hub of a utopian fortress in a Huxleyian dystopia. And the Rams are coached by a test tube-bred genius (Sean McVay). How the *bleep* can we relate with this team?

New England Patriots – $6.7 Billion

Have you seen The Roast of Tom Brady? It’s three hours of offensive jokes from comedy stars like Kevin Hart to Patriots legends like Bill Belichick. But the most offensive joke is not a single one mentioning just how “Terrific Tom” turned a football team from Foxborough into the eighth-richest sports franchise in the world. Seriously. Have you been to Foxborough?

San Francisco 49ers – $6.15 Billion

Sorry, 49ers. But the Warriors are the rich cousin of the Silicone Valley sports franchises. The poor 49ers have to settle with being just $6.15 billion rich. That’s like driving a Bugatti when everyone is driving a Rolls Royce. This aside, the 49ers are the next most iconic NFL franchise. But unlike Dallas, the 49ers have come close to winning a Super Bowl.

New York Jets – $6.11 Billion

We’re shocked to see the Jets in the top 10 just as shocked as Aaron Rodgers is knowing the Earth is not flat or that you need more than Google skills to become an authority in transmissible diseases (or maybe not anymore). But this is the Jets, a team from “New York” with a recognizable face, and a decent chance to win the Super Bowl per the latest NFL lines. This might mean something.

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Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.