Every year Forbes releases their list of the 50 most valuable sports teams. This year, the rankings are in contention given that the Los Angeles Clippers are valued at $575 million, yet Steve Ballmer agreed to buy them for $2 billion. Somebody may have calculated incorrectly, or may be missing some important facts… not sure who.
50 Most Valuable Sports Teams
The Forbes 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams article provides some background on their calculations and decision-making process, but here are the top 5 teams:
- Real Madrid (soccer) – $3.44 billion
- Barcelona (soccer) – $3.2 billion
- Manchester United (soccer) – $2.81 billion
- New York Yankees (baseball) – $2.5 billion
- Dallas Cowboys (football) – $2.3 billion
Forbes also prepares lists of the most valuable teams from each of the 4 major US professionals sports leagues – Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Football League, and National Hockey League.
MLB Valuations
The 5 most valuable Major League Baseball teams are (for full list click here):
- New York Yankees – $2.5 billion
- Los Angeles Dodgers – $2.0 billion
- Boston Red Sox – $1.5 billion
- Chicago Cubs – $1.2 billion
- San Francisco Giants – $1.0 billion
NBA Valuations
The 5 most valuable National Basketball Association teams are (for full list click here):
- New York Knicks – $1.4 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers – $1.2 billion
- Chicago Bulls – $1.0 billion
- Boston Celtics – $875 million
- Brooklyn Nets – $780 million
NFL Valuations
The 5 most valuable National Football League teams are (for full list click here):
- Dallas Cowboys – $2.3 billion
- New England Patriots – $1.8 billion
- Washington Redskins – $1.7 billion
- New York Giants – $1.55 billion
- Houston Texans – $1.45 billion
Football is my favorite sport to follow, so I use this card to rack up points to redeem towards free tickets to games. Right now I’m saving up points to redeem for Super Bowl tickets!!!
NHL Valuations
The 5 most valuable National Hockey League teams are (for full list click here):
- Toronto Maple Leafs – $1.15 billion
- New York Rangers – $850 million
- Montreal Canadiens – $775 million
- Vancouver Canucks – $700 million
- Chicago Blackhawks – $625 million
Conclusion
The owners of professional sports teams have some SERIOUS wealth! And I’m totally envious… I don’t think my 401(k) contributions will get me into this stratosphere, but you can’t stop trying…
Even though I believe that most athletes are overpaid versus their contribution to their team, their sport, and society as a whole, after seeing a list like this, it reminds me that there’s a whole another level of money beyond the $30, $50, and $100+ million contracts that athletes sign during free agency.
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