World's Most Valuable Sports Teams

For professional athletes accustomed to a lifetime of cheering fans in the stands, from little league to the big league, the pandemic shutdown’s emptying of stadiums must have been a bit weird. I almost feel sorry for professional athletes who’ve arrived during the pandemic shutdown. I say 'almost’ because, for example, the average MLB player’s salary is $4.17MM.

There are other downsides to the business of professional sports, including NFL head injuries that cause the degenerative brain disease CTE as well as how the leagues handle player protests against police brutality. But the fun of in-person attendance is undeniable. I’ve had plenty of enjoyment at games: seeing Stephen Curry owning the court for the Warriors, feeling a part of the action at the Oakland A’s homey headquarters, and getting some quality star-sighting scanning the floor seats at the New York Knicks games.

Media rights are actually what keep the lights on for these companies, also known as teams. Today we’re seeing how the top teams across all sports compare in valuation:

#1 Dallas Cowboys have made it to the Super Bowl 8 times, their cheerleading team is known as “America’s Sweethearts,” and they boast an “Everything’s Bigger in Texas” brand image with their staggering $5.7BN valuation. That valuation has increased 43% in the last 5 years. Their owner, Jerry Jones, purchased the team in 1989 for $150MM.

#2 New York Yankees may have the most wins of any of the 4 North American professional sports leagues, and their baseball caps grace more heads than any other MLB team's caps. The franchise is worth $5.25BN, up from the $8.8MM purchase price the Steinbrenner family paid in 1973.

#3 New York Knicks have had some of the best foul line views for years with a star-studded floor-seat each game. And while their wins don’t put them in the top 10 for the Eastern Division, they do take the 3rd spot for valuation at $5BN. Their homebase, the Madison Square Garden Sports company, bought them in ‘97 for $300MM.

#4 Barcelona has more than beaches and its own language, Catalan, spoken by its residents in addition to Spanish. Known colloquially as Barça, the city’s soccer team takes the 4th spot in valuation at $4.76BN, up 34% in value over the last 5 years. They also boast the highest paid sports players in the world, with players making upwards of $13.8MM per season.

#5 Real Madrid is close behind with a $4.75BN valuation but has come under scrutiny in Spanish papers over financial concerns. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid are unique from many premier soccer clubs in that they are owned entirely by the fans, and therefore don’t have a superrich owner to inject cash at any sign of cash-flow issues.