Top 10 Most Valuable Sports Franchises According to Forbes

Fans from all around the world will pay big bucks to support their team. Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball or soccer, games will be watched and both tickets and jerseys will be bought.

Forbes released a list of the 50 most valuable sports franchises, and they're populated by some of the usual suspects.

10. New York Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers

The Giants and Dodgers are tied for the 10th spot, both at $3.3 billion. The Giants haven’t changed in value, while the Dodgers increased by 10 percent since last year. Both New York and LA are huge markets, so it’s no surprise that they’re both represented multiple times throughout the list. 

9. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors built a modern day dynasty, appearing in every NBA Finals since 2015 and winning three of them. With the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green holding it down, it’s no surprise Golden State cracked the top ten. Stephen Curry jerseys are worn by children and adults alike, in support of the point guard who revolutionized the game. The Warriors’ value has increased by 13 percent since last year, and sits at $3.5 billion. 

8. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers haven’t made the playoffs since 2013, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis have Lakerland buzzing again. The Lakers have one of the most prolific histories ever, with tons of all-time greats having worn their uniform. History is what keeps LA “a Laker city” despite the franchise being clearly worse than the LA Clippers recently, and as the second NBA team on the list, Laker Nation stays strong as ever, regardless of their record.

7. New England Patriots

Having the most Super Bowl appearances (11) and being tied for most Super Bowl wins can do a whole lot for a team. Not to mention they have Tom Brady. A team that’s synonymous with winning, the Patriots’ dominance continued with yet another Super Bowl win last year. As the second NFL team on the list, the Patriots are well-represented in New England and beyond thanks to their winning ways. 

6. Manchester United

Manchester United has the most trophies in English football history, winning 20 League titles, 12 FA Cups, 5 League Cups and 21 FA Community Shields. Man United was the most valuable soccer team in 2018 according to Forbes, but has since dipped to the third behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. 

5. New York Knicks

With Madison Square Garden as their stomping grounds, the Knicks being on this list is no surprise. The franchise may be worth $4 billion, but the on-court production has been lacking for quite some time. After losing both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets, many Knick fans are clamoring for owner, James Dolan to sell the team. 

4. Barcelona

Barcelona is a top club in the sport. Barca is the two-time, defending La Liga champions after winning La Liga for the 26th time last season. Led by captain Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s success speaks for itself, but has actually decreased by 1 percent in value since last year. 

3. Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, is a businessman, civil engineer, former politician with a net worth of $2.3 billion as of February 2019. Perez certainly has a handle on how to market his team, utilizing an operating income of $112 million to the fullest. 

Real Madrid also crosses over with other athletes, like NBA’s James Harden, who paid a visit to the team and watched their game against Bayern.

2. New York Yankees

Anywhere you go, odds are you’ll see a New York Yankee hat. The Yankees moved up three spots from the previous list, now sitting at $4.6 billion. Yankee Stadium attendance went up to 3.5 million fans last year, which is the team’s highest mark since 2012. New York’s partnership with the YES Network also dominated screens with YES Network Yankee games having a 57% higher viewership than any other baseball franchise in 2018. 

1. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys sit atop the entire list as the most valuable sports franchise for the fourth consecutive year, worth $5 billion. America’s Team doubles the any other team in sponsorship and premium seating revenue, and even though they haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995, they are the NFL’s cash cow.