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Cowboys, Patriots, Redskins Top Forbes' List of NFL's Most Valuable Teams
September 14, 2015
The Dallas Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl in two decades; however, they remain at the sport's pinnacle when it comes to financial success.
Mike Ozanian of Forbes released the magazine's latest valuations of NFL franchises Monday, with the Cowboys coming out well ahead of the pack at $4 billion. The Jerry Jones-owned franchise is worth $800 million more than the next highest NFL team (New England Patriots, $3.2 billion) and $740 million more than any other sports franchise, period.
Albert Breer of NFL Network noted just how smart of an investment Jones made:
Though the NFL has a vast revenue-sharing stream, the Cowboys were nonetheless able to generate $620 million in revenue last year—$100 million more than any other team. AT&T Stadium has become one of the United States' most marketable sporting venues, and high-profile stars, such as quarterback Tony Romo, have helped to elevate the team's national clout. This is the ninth straight year Dallas has held the top spot as the NFL's most valuable franchise.
New England and Dallas are the only NFL franchises that top the $3 billion mark. In third place, the Washington Redskins are worth $2.85 billion despite poor on-field performance. The New York Giants ($2.8 billion) and the San Francisco 49ers ($2.7 billion) round out the top five.
| NFL Team Values | ||
| Ranking | Team | Value |
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | $4 billion |
| 2 | New England Patriots | $3.2 billion |
| 3 | Washington Redskins | $2.85 billion |
| 4 | New York Giants | $2.8 billion |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | $2.7 billion |
| 6 | New York Jets | $2.6 billion |
| 7 | Houston Texans | $2.5 billion |
| 8 | Chicago Bears | $2.45 billion |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | $2.4 billion |
| 10 | Green Bay Packers | $1.95 billion |
| Forbes.com | ||
Looking at the teams atop the list, Washington stands out as a noticeable outlier in many ways. Each of the four other top-five teams have won a playoff game more recently, and Dallas is the only other team not to make a conference championship appearance in the past five seasons. Couple that with the near-constant controversy surrounding owner Dan Snyder, and it's a surprise Washington is able to generate this kind of profit.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks, who have appeared in the last two Super Bowls and have arguably the most diehard fanbase in the sport, are worth nearly $1 billion less than the Redskins. The Detroit Lions ($1.44 billion), the Oakland Raiders ($1.43 billion) and the Buffalo Bills ($1.4 billion) comprise the bottom three on the list. In total, 23 teams are worth less than half of Dallas' $4 billion.
In a nutshell, Jones might not be saying, "How 'bout them Cowboys," when it comes to the playoffs, but he's certainly doing so when it comes to the cash register.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.