How Dallas Cowboys rank among most valuable sports franchises in the world

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They have not been on top of the NFL in quite some time, but America’s Team are still highly profitable.

The Dallas Cowboys are #1 on the list of the most valuable sports franchises, according to data from Sportico.

The outlet examined the top 100 sports teams in the world, covering six sports and 10 leagues across the globe.

The teams on the top 100 list are worth a combined $405 billion, including team-related businesses and real estate held by owners.

The Cowboys are one of the 22 sports franchises worth at least $5 billion, with the cut-off team in the top 100 being the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League.

Where the highest-valued teams are based

Unsurprisingly, every team on the top 10 list was based in the United States.

Given the exposure of the major sports in the US and the number of players that come from overseas, that makes sense.

Not only are there plenty of players from across the globe who come to play professionally in North American leagues, but there are also plenty of overseas TV networks and radio stations that broadcast those games.

The sports which dominated the high-value franchise list

The NFL had most of the highest-valued franchises on Sportico’s list, taking six of the first 10 spots.

Eight of the top 10 places are franchises based in California or New York, each occupying four spots.

Twelve of the 20 most valuable teams are in the NFL, the wealthiest league in the world.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (51) and Cincinnati Bengals (53) are the only NFL teams outside of the top 50.

Most valued franchises top 10

At #10 is the New York Jets, valued at $6.11 billion, just below the Super Bowl runners-up, the San Francisco 49ers, at $6.15 billion.

Ahead of them, we have the last team to win consecutive Super Bowls before the Chiefs, the New England Patriots, coming in at $6.7 billion.

Moving to #7, there’s the Los Angeles Rams ($6.94 billion), who are below the New York Giants ($7.04 billion). The Giants are the nearest NFL team on the list to the Cowboys.

The only Major League Baseball (MLB) team on the list is the New York Yankees, currently with the fifth-highest value at $7.13 billion.

Coming in at #4 is the Los Angeles Lakers, with a value of $7.34 billion, and another NBA franchise is just ahead of them, the New York Knicks ($7.43 billion).

The Golden State Warriors are second on the list at $8.28 billion.

Jerry Jones’ Cowboys are on top of those charts with a valuation of $9.2 billion.

1. Dallas Cowboys: $9.2bn
2. Golden State Warriors: $8.2bn
3. New York Knicks: $7.43bn
4. Los Angeles Lakers: $7.43bn
5. New York Yankees: $7.13bn
6. New York Giants: $7.04bn
7. Los Angeles Rams: $6.94bn
8. New England Patriots: $6.7bn
9. San Francisco 49ers: $6.15bn
10. New York Jets: $6.11bn

Jerry Jones’ return on investment

Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, and over 30 years later, it’s safe to say he’s built them into perhaps the biggest brand that pro sports has ever seen.

Jones paid $150 million, according to Forbes.

Their 2023 operating income was $504 million, and player expenses were $261 million.

Those estimation were made in August 2023.

It’s safe to say Jones has made a very savvy and profitable investment.