Dallas Cowboys are NFL’s most valuable team

According to a new report from Forbes, NFL teams increased in value during the pandemic season thanks to blockbuster media deals and investments. Despite a 20% drop in revenue for the NFL last year, the value of an average NFL team increased 14% to $3.48 billion. This is the largest increase in five years.

The Dallas Cowboys are the MVT

For the 15th consecutive year, the Dallas Cowboys are the NFL’s most valuable team at $6.5 billion. They dominated in other categories as well. At $800 million, the Cowboys generate the most revenue amongst NFL teams. Their operating income of $280.4 million is $138 million more than the second-place Patriots. This number is especially remarkable when considering the fact multiple teams have operating incomes under $10 million, including the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($1.9 million).

The Cowboys reign as the NFL’s most valuable team is unsurprising given their national following and the work that their owner, Jerry Jones, has done. Jones himself has a net worth of $8.9 billion.

The rest of the top 10 includes many of the NFL’s biggest brands: 

2. New England Patriots: $5 billion
3. New York Giants: $4.85 billion
4. Los Angeles Rams: $4.8 billion
5. Washington Football Team: $4.2 billion
6. San Francisco 49ers: $4.175 billion
7. Chicago Bears: $4.075 billion
8. New York Jets: $4.05 billion
9. Philadelphia Eagles: $3.8 billion
10. Denver Broncos: $3.75 billion

Blockbuster media deals are heavily driving franchise value

Media deals are one of the biggest factors leading to this 14% increase in value across the league. Last March, the NFL signed media rights deals from 2023-2033 worth $111.8 billion. The multi-company television deals each exceed $20 billion:

1. The Walt Disney Company (ESPN/ABC): $27.2 billion
2. Fox (Fox): $25.2 billion
3. ViacomCBS (CBS): $23.6 billion
4. Comcast (NBC): $22.6 billion

Also of note, Amazon signed a deal worth $13.2 billion for exclusive rights to stream Thursday night football on Amazon Prime. They tested this model last season when the 49ers played the Cardinals in December. Streaming services are becoming more popular in the sports media world, and this deal may be a glimpse at the future deals between leagues and their media partners. 

The national media rights payout to each team as a result of these deals will increase from $220 million in 2021 to $377 million in 2032. Those numbers do not include Direct TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket, which is worth approximately $1.5 billion a year through 2022.

Image courtesy of Ronald Martinez/Getty Images