Sportico’s annual ranking of the most valuable teams in the sports world provided some unexpected results, such as the NFL’s Chicago Bears surprisingly ranking 12th, while the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, found themselves at a lower position, sitting at 33rd.
However, one consistent result came as no surprise: the Dallas Cowboys maintaining their position at the pinnacle of the sports economic hierarchy. Acquired by Jerry Jones for $140 million in 1989, the Cowboys regularly secure the top spot in both Sportico and Forbes’ yearly valuations. Although specific figures were not included in Sportico’s recent top-100 list release, the sports business website had previously valued the Cowboys at $9.2 billion in August.
Forbes, on the other hand, estimated in September that the Cowboys’ value had surged by 80% in the past five years. This remarkable growth is attributed to factors such as the lucrative NFL media deal, potentially worth $126 billion by 2033, and the ownership of the team’s revenue-generating AT&T Stadium, boasting an 80,000-seat capacity.
In the non-NFL category, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers claimed the second, third, and fourth positions, respectively. The New York Yankees from Major League Baseball secured the fifth spot after acquiring Juan Soto. Notably, the Premier League failed to make it into the top 10, with Manchester United (13), Real Madrid (19), Barcelona (23), and Liverpool (29) being the only soccer teams in the top 30.
A noteworthy trend observed in the list is the significance of a team’s ability to capitalize on a modern stadium or arena for profit. This explains why the Kansas City Chiefs, despite their recent Super Bowl win and the 52-year-old Arrowhead Stadium, were surpassed by the Las Vegas Raiders (15) with the four-year-old Allegiant Stadium.
Formula One teams like Ferrari (71) and Mercedes (81) made it into the top 100, along with Red Bull at the 88th position. Among the soccer teams, Bayern Munich (34), Manchester City (35), Arsenal (57), Paris Saint-Germain (60), Tottenham (70), and Juventus (98) also secured spots.
Surprisingly, no Major League Soccer (MLS) teams made it to Sportico’s top-100 list. Only a handful of NHL clubs were included: Toronto Maple Leafs (82), New York Rangers (85), Chicago Blackhawks (94), Boston Bruins (97), and Philadelphia Flyers (100).
An intriguing revelation from the Sportico rankings is that winning championships does not guarantee a team’s ascent on the list. Defending champions like the Chiefs (33), the Denver Nuggets (61), the Texas Rangers (92), and the Vegas Golden Knights (unranked) find themselves outside the top 30. Meanwhile, teams with less impressive records, such as the Washington Commanders (11), the New York Giants (5), and the New England Patriots (8), continue to be among the world’s most valuable teams. Remarkably, 12 of the top 20 teams hail from the NFL, which recently celebrated its most-watched Super Bowl with 123.7 million viewers.