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The World’s 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025

Posted on 12/18/25 at 1:13 pm
Posted by RLDSC FAN
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member since Nov 2008
58934 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 1:13 pm
Good read

quote:

Six years ago, the world’s most valuable sports team was worth $5 billion. Now, that figure wouldn’t even crack the top 50.

The Dallas Cowboys remain No. 1—as they have every year since 2016—but these days, America’s Team is valued at a stratospheric $13 billion. And there is no shortage of data points to chart the spectacular growth in sports franchise valuations in recent years.

Together, the 50 top teams are worth more than $353 billion, or an average of $7.1 billion each—up 22% from 2024 and more than double the mark from just four years ago. Eight franchises in the top 50 posted year-over-year increases of at least 30%, and that number doesn’t include Formula 1’s Ferrari and Mercedes, which are both up 58% since 2023 but were not valued by Forbes last year.

At the top of the ranking, a year after the Cowboys established the $10 billion club, it has four new members: the Golden State Warriors, estimated at $11 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Rams ($10.5 billion), the New York Giants ($10.1 billion) and the Los Angeles Lakers ($10 billion). And the New York Knicks are already knocking on the door, as the world’s sixth-most-valuable team at $9.75 billion.

Broadly speaking, the soaring sports valuations of the past two decades are the result of a surge in media rights fees. Last year, for instance, the NBA struck 11-year broadcast deals with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video for a reported $76 billion, or an average of $6.9 billion per year, a roughly $4 billion annual raise over the old agreements. The year prior, the NFL agreed to a package guaranteeing at least $125.5 billion through 2033.

With larger distributions from the leagues—and with teams making big financial gains in areas including sponsorship and premium seating—NBA and NFL franchises have seen their average revenue climb 141% and 91% over the past decade, respectively, to an estimated $417 million and $662 million. And because sports teams are generally valued on multiples of revenue, the extra money is directly pushing up sales prices.


quote:

#1. $13 billion Dallas Cowboys

League: NFL | Owner: Jerry Jones | One-Year Change: 29% | 2024 Rank: 1


#2. $11 billion Golden State Warriors

League: NBA | Owners: Joe Lacob, Peter Guber | One-Year Change: 25% | 2024 Rank: 2

#3. $10.5 billion Los Angeles Rams

League: NFL | Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke | One-Year Change: 38% | 2024 Rank: 3

#4. $10.1 billion New York Giants

League: NFL | Owners: John Mara, Steven Tisch | One-Year Change: 38% | 2024 Rank: 7

#5. $10 billion Los Angeles Lakers

League: NBA | Owners: Mark Walter, Todd Boehly, Jerry Buss Family Trusts | One-Year Change: 41% | 2024 Rank: 8

#6. $9.75 billion New York Knicks

League: NBA | Owner: Madison Square Garden Sports | One-Year Change: 30% | 2024 Rank: 5

#7. $9 billion New England Patriots

League: NFL | Owner: Robert Kraft | One-Year Change: 22% | 2024 Rank: 6

#8. $8.6 billion San Francisco 49ers

League: NFL | Owner: York family | One-Year Change: 26% | 2024 Rank: 10

#9. $8.3 billion Philadelphia Eagles

League: NFL | Owner: Jeffrey Lurie | One-Year Change: 26% | 2024 Rank: 12 (tie)

#10 (tie). $8.2 billion New York Yankees

League: MLB | Owner: Steinbrenner family | One-Year Change: 9% | 2024 Rank: 4



read more
Posted by TheePalmetto
Member since Aug 2025
1834 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 1:25 pm to
The valuations are bullshite by and large. They are worth what someone will pay for them.
Posted by WG_Dawg
Member since Jun 2004
89594 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 1:55 pm to
quote:

Six years ago, the world’s most valuable sports team was worth $5 billion. Now, that figure wouldn’t even crack the top 50.


can someone ELI5 how this is even possible? Like what has changed in such a short period of time to make these numbers so drastically different?
Posted by MintBerry Crunch
Member since Nov 2010
5840 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:07 pm to
quote:

The valuations are bullshite by and large. They are worth what someone will pay for them.


If you don't think each of those franchises listed could be sold for that much, you're wrong
Posted by MintBerry Crunch
Member since Nov 2010
5840 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:10 pm to
quote:

can someone ELI5 how this is even possible? Like what has changed in such a short period of time to make these numbers so drastically different?


There is much more money at the top levels of society recently than there has ever been.

In 2018, Bezos was the world's first person worth $100bn. Today, there are 19 people above $100bn, including 6 above $200bn.
This post was edited on 12/18/25 at 2:11 pm
Posted by Oilfieldbiology
Member since Nov 2016
41465 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:14 pm to
I’m a little surprised that there are only 3 soccer teams on there. Is it because there are so many soccer teams and professional leagues around the world that, while tiered in levels, are essentially comporting?
Posted by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
129472 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:32 pm to
Im pretty sure the Lakers and Knicks would sell for more than the Warriors

Once steph is gone nobody will care
Posted by ShaneTheLegLechler
Member since Dec 2011
63027 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:38 pm to
quote:

The valuations are bullshite by and large. They are worth what someone will pay for them.


This post was edited on 12/18/25 at 2:39 pm
Posted by Ghost of Colby
Alberta, overlooking B.C.
Member since Jan 2009
15062 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:47 pm to
For comparison from just 10 years ago.

2015 Forbes rankings:

1 Real Madrid / Club members $3.26
Soccer

2 Dallas Cowboys / Jerry Jones 3.20
NFL

2 New York Yankees / Steinbrenner family 3.20
MLB

4 Barcelona / Club members 3.16
Soccer

5 Manchester United / Glazer family 3.10
Soccer

6 Los Angeles Lakers / Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz 2.60
NBA
Posted by TeddyPadillac
Member since Dec 2010
29795 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:49 pm to
quote:

I’m a little surprised that there are only 3 soccer teams on there. Is it because there are so many soccer teams and professional leagues around the world that, while tiered in levels, are essentially comporting?




Their leagues aren't as greedy and full of commercials throughout their broadcasts so their tv deals aren't quite as equal. They also don't have the local population to match the tv viewership the US has. Real Madrid and Barcelona and the Premier League will average 1.5M viewers a game, where as the entire NFL averages 17m viewers per game. NFL teams are sharing $400M+ a year in broadcast revenue where as the top European soccer clubs are getting around $150M


All these soccer clubs also have other sports, like basketball and womens sports, sometimes rugby and tennis, etc. They are like a college where the mens soccer team is pretty much funding all these other activities for the club.
They also have youth clubs that they spend money on (exact opposite of how youth sports works in the USA). When you're a young talent in Europe, big clubs get you to train at their club and pay for everything. When you're good in the USA, you get to join a league that plays soccer/baseball/basketball games all over the fricking country and most of the time you as a parent have to pay for everything, tens of thousands of dollars a year.



Real Madrid's revenue is over $1B, while the Cowboys are at $1.2B. There's a few other soccer clubs that are close to that $1B in revenue as well, but that shows you why the NFL teams are worth so much more than the top soccer clubs. The cowboys are showing profits of over $600M last year, whereas many soccer clubs are showing profits of like $20M or sometimes operating in the negative.



Owning a big soccer club is for billionaires who expect to lose money.
Owning a NFL/NBA/MLB team will make a billionaire billions of dollars.




Posted by WestCoastAg
Member since Oct 2012
149490 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:49 pm to
Warriors own their stadium which gives them a massive bump from bay area land values
Posted by Diseasefreeforall
Member since Oct 2012
7202 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:50 pm to
quote:


I’m a little surprised that there are only 3 soccer teams on there. Is it because there are so many soccer teams and professional leagues around the world that, while tiered in levels, are essentially comporting?

It tells you something about the US economy vs Europe and how much our economy has grown over the past 15 years compared to theirs.
Posted by PCRammer
1725 Slough Avenue in Scranton, PA
Member since Jan 2014
1801 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 2:58 pm to
Interesting that MLB only rose 8%. I think its more popular now than it has been in 20 years with the pitch clock.
Posted by Cosmo
glassman's guest house
Member since Oct 2003
129472 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 3:17 pm to
quote:

Warriors own their stadium which gives them a massive bump from bay area land values


Pretty sure Dolan owns MSG
Posted by TheePalmetto
Member since Aug 2025
1834 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 3:23 pm to
Could they? Sure. Doesn’t change their actual value. Pro franchise ownership is basically split between generational family groups and new money measuring dicks.
Posted by VOLhalla
Knoxville
Member since Feb 2011
5015 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 3:43 pm to
I'm going to need to see the math showing how the Titans are more valuable than the Chiefs or Ravens
Posted by JerryTheKingBawler
South of Memphis
Member since Jan 2023
7553 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 3:45 pm to
“That doesn’t mean we’re making money” - Hal Steinbrenner
Posted by chalmetteowl
Chalmette
Member since Jan 2008
53778 posts
Posted on 12/18/25 at 3:49 pm to
quote:

I'm going to need to see the math showing how the Titans are more valuable than the Chiefs or Ravens


Probably their stadium situation
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