Major sports leagues around the world are finally playing games again — from European soccer leagues to Major League Baseball and the NBA. The NFL’s season began without a hitch on Sept. 10.
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Using data from Forbes, GOBankingRates identified the 20 most valuable sports franchises in the world. They’re ranked in ascending order from least valuable to most. You’ll also learn about the revenue they earn, who owns them when they bought their teams and for how much.
Last updated: Oct. 28, 2021
20. San Francisco Giants
- League: MLB
- Sport: Baseball
- Valuation: $3,100,000,000
- Owner: Charles Johnson
- Year purchased: 1993
- Price paid: $100,000,000
- Revenue: $452,000,000
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19. New York Jets
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,200,000,000
- Owner: Johnson Family
- Year purchased: 2000
- Price paid: $635,000,000
- Revenue: $497,000,000
18. Chicago Bulls
- League: NBA
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $3,200,000,000
- Owner: Jerry Reinsdorf
- Year purchased: 1985
- Price paid: $16,200,000
- Revenue: $300,000,000
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17. Chicago Cubs
- League: MLB
- Sport: Baseball
- Valuation: $3,200,000,000
- Owner: Ricketts Family
- Year purchased: 2009
- Price paid: $700,000,000
- Revenue: $471,000,000
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16. Boston Red Sox
- League: MLB
- Sport: Baseball
- Valuation: $3,300,000,000
- Owner: John Henry, Thomas Werner
- Year purchased: 2002
- Price paid: $380,000,000
- Revenue: $519,000,000
15. Washington Football Team
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,400,000,000
- Owner: Daniel Snyder
- Year purchased: 1999
- Price paid: $750,000,000
- Revenue: $504,000,000
14. Los Angeles Dodgers
- League: MLB
- Sport: Baseball
- Valuation: $3,400,000,000
- Owner: Guggenheim Baseball Management
- Year purchased: 2012
- Price paid: $2,000,000,000
- Revenue: $556,000,000
13. Chicago Bears
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,450,000,000
- Owner: McCaskey Family
- Year purchased: 1920
- Price paid: $100
- Revenue: $477,000,000
12. San Francisco 49ers
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,500,000,000
- Owner: Denise DeBartolo & John York
- Year purchased: 1977
- Price paid: $13,000,000
- Revenue: $530,000,000
11. Los Angeles Rams
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,800,000,000
- Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke
- Year purchased: 2010
- Price paid: $750,000,000
- Revenue: $423,000,000
10. Manchester United
- League: EPL
- Sport: Soccer
- Valuation: $3,810,000,000
- Owner: Glazer family
- Year purchased: 2005
- Price paid: $1,400,000,000
- Revenue: $795,000,000
9. New York Giants
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $3,900,000,000
- Owner: John Mara, Steven Tisch
- Year purchased: 1925, 1991
- Price paid: $500, $150,000,000
- Revenue: $547,000,000
8. Barcelona
- League: La Liga
- Sport: Soccer
- Valuation: $4,020,000,000
- Owner: Club members
- Year purchased: N/A
- Price paid: N/A
- Revenue: $824,000,000
7. New England Patriots
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $4,100,000,000
- Owner: Robert Kraft
- Year purchased: 1994
- Price paid: $172,000,000
- Revenue: $630,000,000
6. Real Madrid
- League: La Liga
- Sport: Soccer
- Valuation: $4,240,000,000
- Owner: Club members
- Year purchased: N/A
- Price paid: N/A
- Revenue: $896,000,000
5. Golden State Warriors
- League: NBA
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $4,300,000,000
- Owner: Joe Lacob, Peter Guber
- Year purchased: 2010
- Price paid: $450,000,000
- Revenue: $474,000,000
4. Los Angeles Laker
- League: NBA
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $4,400,000,000
- Owner: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz
- Year purchased: 1979, 1998
- Price paid: $20,000,000, $268,000,000
- Revenue: $400,000,000
3. New York Knicks
- League: NBA
- Sport: Basketball
- Valuation: $4,600,000,000
- Owner: Madison Square Garden Company
- Year purchased: 1997
- Price paid: $300,000,000
- Revenue: $421,000,000
2. New York Yankees
- League: MLB
- Sport: Baseball
- Valuation: $5,000,000,000
- Owner: Steinbrenner Family
- Year purchased: 1973
- Price paid: $8,800,000
- Revenue: $683,000,000
1. Dallas Cowboys
- League: NFL
- Sport: Football
- Valuation: $5,500,000,000
- Owner: Jerry Jones
- Year purchased: 1989
- Price paid: $150,000,000
- Revenue: $980,000,000
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Methodology: GOBankingRates found the 20 most valuable sports franchises in the world using Forbes’ “The World’s Most Valuable Sports Teams” 2020 data set and sourced the following factors for each team: (1) team name; (2) league/sport played in; (3) valuation; (4) owner(s) name; (5) year purchased; and (6) price paid. GOBankingRates then found each team’s most recent season’s revenues as sourced from Forbes’ league valuations. All data were collected on and up to date as of March 23, 2021.