Cowboys, Patriots top Forbes NFL franchise value list; Bills, Rams on bottom
Want to buy an NFL franchise? Better liquidate grandma's AT&T stock.
Forbes has come out with its annual list of the NFL's most valuable franchises, and there are some familiar names at the top. The Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots top the list, coming in well above the exorbitant $2 billion that the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers were recently sold for.
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The Cowboys, which Forbes estimates will generate a combined $8.6 million in revenue for the team over the next five years with its massive JerryWorld stadium and fans the world over, are tops at a whopping $3.2 billion. The Patriots check in at a still-impressive $2.6 billion — not bad for a franchise Robert Kraft bought back in 1994 for a measley $172 million.
The average franchise now is valued at $1.43 billion, the highest figure in the past 17 years that Forbes started tracking NFL team finances. That average took a massive boost of 23 percent from one year ago, which was the biggest one-year increase percentage since 1999.
With reports out that the for-sale Buffalo Bills are garnering offers well north of $1 billion, it might surprise you to find out that they came in 31st of the 32 teams at a value of $935 million. But if that same trend of value increase continues, the Bills' new owner likely can feel better about their purchase in the golden-egg-laying NFL.
Bringing up the rear on the list: the St. Louis Rams, whose stadium issues loom as a concern, at $930 million. Oft mentioned as a possible Los Angeles candidate should Rams owner Stan Kroenke seek to move the team folliowing the expiration of the Edward Jones Dome, that value could skyrocket with the right stadium situation and league support — i.e. hosting a Super Bowl down the road.
Here's the list in its entirety:
Forbes rank | NFL franchise | Estimated value |
1 | Dallas Cowboys | $3.2 billion |
2 | New England Patriots | $2.6 billion |
3 | Washington Redskins | $2.4 billion |
4 | New York Giants | $2.1 billion |
5 | Houston Texans | $1.85 billion |
6 | New York Jets | $1.8 billion |
7 | Philadelphia Eagles | $1.75 billion |
8 | Chicago Bears | $1.7 billion |
9 | San Francisco 49ers | $1.6 billion |
10 | Baltimore Ravens | $1.5 billion |
11 | Denver Broncos | $1.45 billion |
12 | Indianapolis Colts | $1.4 billion |
13 | Green Bay Packers | $1.38 billion |
14 | Pittsburgh Steelers | $1.35 billion |
15 | Seattle Seahawks | $1.33 billion |
16 | Miami Dolphins | $1.3 billion |
17 | Carolina Panthers | $1.25 billion |
18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | $1.23 billion |
19 | Tennessee Titans | $1.16 billion |
20 | Minnesota Vikings | $1.15 billion |
21 | Atlanta Falcons | $1.13 billion |
22 | Cleveland Browns | $1.12 billion |
23 | New Orleans Saints | $1.11 billion |
24 | Kansas City Chiefs | $1.1 billion |
25 | Arizona Cardinals | $1 billion |
26 | San Diego Chargers | $995 million |
27 | Cincinnati Bengals | $990 million |
28 | Oakland Raiders | $970 million |
29 | Jacksonville Jaguars | $965 million |
30 | Detroit Lions | $960 million |
31 | Buffalo Bills | $935 million |
32 | St. Louis Rams | $930 million |
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
