The Dallas Cowboys are the first sports franchise to be worth over $10 billion.
The Cowboys, owned by Jerry Jones, were valued at $10.32 billion, by far the most valuable franchise in the league and an increase of over a billion dollars from the previous estimate of $9.2 billion in February.
Jones, 81, bought America’s Team in 1989 for an estimated $140 million (about $355 million in 2024) and has built the company into a financial powerhouse. As the team’s general manager, he oversaw its initial success and helped create one of the most dominant teams of the ’90s, winning the Super Bowl in the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons.
However, the Cowboys have struggled to repeat that magic in recent years, managing just five playoff victories in the 28 years since their last Super Bowl triumph. Most recently, Dallas lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round of the 2023 season, despite finishing second in the NFC and having career MVP runaway runner Dak Prescott on the roster.
A relatively quiet offseason followed, although Jones announced that he and the team were “all in” for the 2024 season. However, the Cowboys remain immensely popular, generating an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023, which is 50 percent more than the second-place NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams, according to Sportico.
The Rams are valued at $7.79 billion and have overtaken the New York Giants for second place, but are not in the same league as Dallas. The New England Patriots remain in fourth place – despite sporting difficulties and the departure of Bill Belichick – with a value of $7.31 billion, while the San Francisco 49ers close out the top five with a value of $6.86 billion.
The biggest climbers compared to last year’s rankings are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rise 12 places to 16th and are valued at $5.5 billion, an increase of 33 percent. The Los Angeles Chargers are the biggest fallers, falling four places to 22nd.
According to Sportico’s research, the average NFL franchise is worth $5.93 billion, a 15.4 percent improvement over last year as the league continues to be the most financially successful in any sport when it comes to team value.
At $4.71 billion, the Cincinnati Bengals are the league’s least valuable team – only 15 non-NFL franchises in Sportico’s February list of the 100 most valuable sports teams had a value that exceeds the Bengals’ most recent estimate.
Despite recent difficulties on the field, the Dallas Cowboys continue their financial excellence by generating an estimated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023, largely due to their popularity in the world of sports. By participating in various sporting activities, the Cowboys remain a significant force in the industry.
