Dallas Cowboys named most valuable sports franchise
Anyone trying to change Jerry Jones' mind about selling the Dallas Cowboys better have a fat checkbook to back them up. Especially now that they've been deemed the most valuable sports franchise.
Sportico on Monday named the Cowboys the most valuable team in all of sports at $7.64 billion. The tag puts them $630 million ahead of the New York Yankees, who have long been touted for their heavy bankroll.
Sportico concluded that the average NFL franchise is worth $4.1 billion, which is on par with the Denver Broncos being sold earlier this year for $4.65 billion. Of the major sports leagues in the country, the NFL's total value far exceeds the others.
According to ESPN, Sportico's conclusion is "derived from interviews with more than 30 bankers, lawyers, team executives, owners and consultants as well as public documents involved in the sport." They also note that the top NFL franchises -- the Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and New England Patriots -- all have business ventures outside of the teams themselves that up their value.
"Sports may not be for everybody, but for those who do love it, it is real fertile ground," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told Sportico. "Whether it's a Legends platform [the hospitality company the Cowboys share with the Yankees], a real estate platform, a technology platform, we've seen that you can use the Star, the Cowboys, and sports to really enhance business."
ESPN points out the Cincinnati Bengals, who went to the Super Bowl this year, are the least valued NFL franchise at $2.84 billion.
More must-reads: