The 100 Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World
The top 100 franchises are based on Sportico’s most recent valuations for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1 and global soccer. No MLS or NWSL teams made the cut. You can find breakdowns of each of these leagues by clicking on these hyperlinks.
More from Sportico.com
To derive the market value of the sports franchises, Sportico calculated each team’s revenue relying on publicly available information and financial records—as well as interviews with those knowledgeable of team finances, including sports bankers and attorneys who actively work on transactions. This information was vetted by team personnel, including owners, team or parent company CEOs, presidents, chief financial officers and media relations employees, as well as industry experts and investors. Below are definitions of some major metrics:
Total Value: The sum of the market value of the franchise combined with the value of team-related businesses and real estate holdings.
Team Value: Franchise valuations are derived from metrics by which basketball-team transactions occur, including aggregating local and national revenues and factoring in a team-specific multiplier. This represents the market value of the team itself, excluding related businesses held by its owners.
The revenue listed are based on the following seasons: 2022 (NFL, F1), 2023 (MLB), 2022-23 (NBA, NHL) and 2021-22 season (global soccer).
Team-Related Businesses and Real Estate Holdings: The value of a franchise or franchise owner’s equity in team-related businesses—that is, both those on the team’s balance sheet and held in distinct corporate entities—as well as government-assessed real estate related to venue, practice facilities and adjacent developments. Examples include the Atlanta Braves’ six subsidiaries that own the 31 parcels of land adjacent to its ballpark; the New York Yankees’ 26% interest in the YES Network; the Washington Commanders’ subsidiaries, which own nearly 400 acres split between 12 parcels near the team’s stadium and practice facility; and WNBA franchises for the six teams that share common ownership with an NBA club.
For franchises that do not own their arenas, the value of a team’s lease—often with advantageous terms negotiated with municipal or state authorities—is captured in the Team Value category.
Best of Sportico.com
