Why New York Yankees Would Be More Expensive Than Los Angeles Dodgers

After the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.3 billion, naturally many have speculated the possible sale price of the New York Yankees if they were ever sold.

While some experts have tried to peg the Yanks' value at over $3 billion, it's safe to say that they are worth more than the Dodgers.

The Bombers have some things going for them that not many organizations in Major League Baseball have, and that's what makes them the most expensive baseball team on the planet.

Here's why the Yankees would definitely be more expensive than the Dodgers.

YES Network

Many teams have a lucrative regional network deal, but the Yankees' YES Network is the top dog in that category.

According to the New York Post, YES Network is valued at $1.1 billion alone. Without the network, the team itself is worth $2.2 billion.

That's a total of $3.3 billion, and that would easily shatter anything the Dodgers are doing. In fact, L.A.'s $2.3 billion value already includes a potential network deal for the team.

Without the potential TV deal added to the Dodgers' price, it could be argued that YES Network itself is worth more than the entire Dodgers team.

Global Branding

No matter where you are in this country, or even the world, the one logo you're likely to see anywhere you go is a Yankees logo.

The "NY" on the Bombers cap is a universal symbol of winning, and that has greatly expanded the business of the Yankees.

There's no question that few teams, if any, have a fanbase the likes of New York's—not just in baseball, but in all professional sports around the planet. A winning tradition is the reason for that.

It was even reported (and disputed) that the man who killed Libyan dictator Muammar el-Qaddafi had a Yankee hat on.

That's some impressive global branding.

Merchandising

According to ESPN, the New York Yankees are spending around $93 million more in 2012 than the Dodgers. So naturally, that affords New York more superstar players.

Granted, the Dodgers will soon have more money to work with now that they are under new ownership, but for the time being, this is the reality of the situation.

Fans want to buy the jersey of a great player, and when you have several of them like the Yanks do, that will increase the sales of jerseys as a team.

For example, in 2010, the Yankees had three of their players in the top 20 for jersey sales while finishing first in the league in overall merchandise sales.

Yankees stuff is quite a big business.

New Stadium

The new Yankee Stadium is something to behold, and you can see why the Bronx Bombers had no problem leveling the old place for the new one.

For the Dodgers, it isn't quite the same.

Dodger Stadium is in need of major renovation or replacement.

As did the Yankees, I'm sure the Dodgers would love to add some more luxury boxes to increase value and beef up the security at the stadium after their past issues.

High-priced franchises should have a high-priced facility, and the Dodgers do not qualify at the moment, which hurts their value.

Legends Hospitality Management, LLC

A joint venture between the New York Yankees, the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Legends Hospitality Management, LLC is a sports marketing and concessions business that also brings in money for the Bombers.

Currently, the company handles concessions and hospitality at Yankees, Cowboys and a handful of minor league venues.

However, the company is still looking to expand its business outward to more than just selling hot dogs and beer.

In 2012, Dave Checketts was named to run the company, and he estimated its value at around $200 million, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Just another business that the Bombers have that the Dodgers, and most teams in baseball, don't have.

You can't say the Yankees are bad at business, because it simply wouldn't be true.