Sports Then and Now

Th Staples Center is home to two valuable basketball franchises.

You already know how great your favorite sports team is, but do you how much they’re actually worth? The following list is a pretty simple ranking sheet based entirely on the monetary value of each of the individual teams on the list, regardless of sport. Most of the teams on this list will be familiar to people who aren’t even familiar with the sport because they dominate the headlines of their respective sports year after year. Here goes:

17. Philadelphia Eagles
I bet if you asked anyone in the broader sports world if the Eagles were the sixth most valuable American Football team they would say no. The truth is, the market is deep as the $1.314 billion valuation proves. Eagle fans are avid and are being rewarded with stadium renovations that make it more enjoyable to continue to support their team. These guys are proof that it matters when people love and support their teams.

16. Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal is arguably the most successful club in British Premier league history, particularly because of their reliability. They’re a contender every year. For an American comparison, they’re basically the Yankees. Rich, based in a big city, London, and regularly in the running for the pennant. That’s probably why they’re worth $1.331 billion.

15. Los Angeles Lakers
This list is quickly becoming one of teams that you love to hate. The Lakers are a dynasty franchise that has had periods of dominance every decade since the seventies. With that in mind it’s surprising they’re only valued at $1.35 billion considering Ballmer just bought the Clippers for $2 billion.

14. New York Jets
The Jets have struggled to fill MetLife stadium the past two years and stand at 26th in NFL attendance rankings but they have a slice of one of the largest markets in football so they’re worth $1.38 billion.

13. New York Knicks
The Knicks had the biggest average audience in the NBA this past season with 163,000 viewers per game. It’s pretty astonishing considering they were losing more than 50 percent of their games at that time. Those masochistic fans have made the Knicks worth $1.4 billion.

12. Houston Texans
Texas is one of the most avid football states in America, so much so that there is a TV series AND a movie about how important High School football is to its residents. Although these depictions were fictionalized, that really speaks to the markets yearning for more ever football. $1.45 billion.

11. Boston Red Sox
Now that they’ve broken the curse, they can’t seem to stop breaking it. They’re making up for lost time with a third World Series title in ten years. That’s especially amazing since this is the sport with the second fewest repeat champions in the four major North American sports. $1.5 billion.

10. New York Giants
The more loved of the two New York teams at the moment, the Giants, have a better winning record these days to be happy about. Thus, they get all of the New York bandwagon to tune in. It’s made them $200 million wealthier than their counterparts. $1.55 billion.

9. Washington Redskins
With a $1.7 billion brand to protect it’s unlikely that they’ll be changing their name or logo anytime soon. In spite of their recent difficulties, the Redskins are the guilty pleasure of many a fan. “Yeah, sure it should change but, you know, later.”

8. New England Patriots
The Patriots have sold out every home game in the last twenty years, even though their ticket prices are second highest in the league. Surely, that hasn’t held them back from a valuation of $1.8 billion. Several iterations of their teams were once ranked as some of the best in all American sports history.

7. Bayern Munich F.C.
These guys are the top team in Germany and regular contenders in the Champions League Finals, which they won in 2013, consequently. The only German team on the list, they’re worth a hefty $1.85 billion.

6. Los Angeles Dodgers
The second-most valuable team in Baseball, the Dodgers are worth $2 billion.

5. Dallas Cowboys
The Most Valuable American Football team around the Cowboys are worth $2.3 billion. That’s a full $500 million more than the next team the Patriots.

4. New York Yankees
The most valuable team in American sports, at $2.5 billion, is number four on this list. With a roster and stadium that seem exorbitant to most Americans they pale in comparison to the most expensive Football teams in the world.

European soccer teams are ranked as the three most valuable franchises in sports.

3. Manchester United F.C.
The most expensive team in British football, at a valuation of $2.81 billion, the United have reached a deal with ADIDAS for $1.3 billion over the next ten years, simply to wear their equipment. That’s the most expensive uniform deal in the history of sports. It’s largely because they’re the most popular team in all of sports, too.

2. Barcelona F.C.
Barcelona is worth a full $3.2 billion and employs two of the most valuable players in the world of sports. They are a powerhouse that is worth more than twice all American teams except numbers nine through four on this list.

1. Real Madrid F.C.
The most expensive team in the world, like the second most expensive, is housed in one of the most troubled economies in Europe. This has led to much dissatisfaction among the Spanish as they see one-in-four unemployment and tax breaks to the wealthiest teams in the world. At $3.44 billion, Real Madrid has earned the ire and the admiration of many but is undoubtedly in a league of its own.

It probably isn’t very surprising that many of the teams on this list were American Football teams. That’s largely because the market is so wealthy and professional sports are a reflection of the market. You may also find it interesting to note that numbers 17 through 11 were $200 million apart and the top team was more than double their value.

Lakers image from Prayitno on Flickr’s Creative Commons.

Real Madrid image from tpower1978 on Flickr’s Creative Commons.