Forbes: Browns one of the least valuable ($) franchises in NFL

The Cleveland Browns have (likely) the best fan base in the NFL and, perhaps, in all of professional sports in America. While the team has struggled mightily since their return in 1999, the fans have never failed to show their support and voice their opinion.

That voice has taken many forms including the winless parade, sold-out stadiums, voting Peyton Hillis onto the cover of Madden NFL and in many other ways.

The 2020 season was a successful one with high hopes that it was the start of the team’s turnaround on the field.

Off the field, the team that Jimmy Haslam purchased still doesn’t meet even the average value of other NFL teams. According to Forbes, the Cleveland franchise is valued at $2.6 billion good for 29th in the NFL.

Detroit ($2.4 billion), Cincinnati ($2.275) and Buffalo ($2.27) are the only lowered valued teams. On the other end of the spectrum, Dallas leads the way at a value of $6.5 billion while New England ($5), the New York Giants ($4.85) and Los Angeles Rams ($4.8) are behind on the list but far behind in value.

Despite the pandemic, which dropped revenue an average of $381 million per team, the value of the franchises actually went up more than 14%, on average. The two franchises in the middle of the NFL’s value ranking, Las Vegas and Baltimore, are worth $3.415 billion and $3.14 billion.

Here is how Forbes breaks down the Browns, one of only 12 franchises with a positive operating budget:

While the team’s value should go up some based on their achievements on the field, there is a myriad of factors that could keep the value closer to the bottom of the league than the top. Like most real estate, location (location, location) is the primary one.