WITH THE NFL’S top sponsorship and premium seating revenues, the Dallas Cowboys were named the world’s most valuable sports team Wednesday by Forbes magazine in its annual top-50 ranking.
The Cowboys, who have not won a Super Bowl since 1996, jumped five percent in value to $4.2 billion (3.68 billion euros) to defend their 2016 position. Last year they unseated Spanish football powerhouse Real Madrid atop the global list.
The 32-team NFL is the world’s richest league, with an average operating profit of $91 million and no club turning less than a $26 million profit. A major reason for that was the latest NFL television package bringing annual revenues of $7 billion.
The Cowboys also boast a $1.5 billion team practice facility and headquarters that will become a retail and entertainment complex with hotels, medical center and convention center. An exclusive club offers members the chance to watch Cowboys workouts.
Only three NFL clubs missed the 50-team Forbes richest roll call — the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.
Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees ranked second on $3.7 billion, a nine percent boost from last year. They boast $120 million in sponsorships and $130 million in premium seat revenues, tops in the major leagues. In all, eight major league clubs made the Forbes list.
Manchester United ranked a close third on $3.69 billion, hurdling Spanish rivals Barcelona ($3.64 billion) and Real Madrid ($3.58 billion). Barca was up two percent to stand fourth, Real off by the same amount in fifth overall.
In all, seven global football clubs made the list, the others being Bayern Munich, 15th on $2.71 billion; Manchester City, 35th on $2.083 billion; Arsenal, 43rd on $1.93 billion and Chelsea, 46th on $1.845 billion.
The reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots were sixth on the list at $3.4 billion, jumping six percent with their run to the NFL title.
Topping NBA clubs in seventh overall were the New York Knicks on $3.3 billion, up 10 percent in value but still weaklings on the court at 31-51. They have not had a playoff berth or winning season since 2013 and have won only one playoff series since 2000.
The NFL’s New York Giants were eighth on $3.1 billion with the NFL San Francisco 49ers and NBA Los Angeles Lakers sharing ninth at $3 billion.
In all, there were seven NBA clubs on the list. The reigning champion Golden State Warriors shared 20th with the NFL Houston Texans on $2.6 billion, leaping 37 percent in value.
Last year’s NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t make the list but the NBA-worst Brooklyn Nets at 20-62 shared 47th on $1.8 billion, just ahead of a 50th-place deadlock between the NFL New Orleans Saints and baseball’s Los Angeles Angels on $1.75 billion.
The biggest gainer was the NFL Los Angeles Rams, doubling in value after a move from St. Louis to land in 12th overall with a new stadium owned by Rams owner Stan Kroenke set to open in 2020.
Kroenke is also the biggest shareholder in Arsenal, which suffered the list’s worst plunge, tumbling 20 spots and off four percent due to a decline in the British pound after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
Two teams from last year fell off the list, the NBA’s Houston Rockets and English football side Liverpool. No NHL or auto racing teams made the list.
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He has taken them as far as he can.
Doesn’t seem to have the humility to resign. They have to sack him.
Stephen Kenny has well and truly had the last laugh.
Unfair- not sure he realizes he’s working in a results game and City ain’t winning
If he has any respect for himself he will quit but I suppose he’s holding out for a payoff.
It wont get any better with him still as manager.whats going to change,hes a stubborn man,nothing will change only our position in the table.second from bottom soon.thanks john.
It will be interesting to see if the Foras management team are prepared to show leadership here.
While a great admirer of his achievements over the ladt 5 years its obvious the club have stagnated now. The signs were there all last season and sadly are evident for all to see now….
Leadership has to been shown from the board in this situation if John is still adamant in staying on even tho results are in constant decline……
@Michéal Breathnach: foras i feel hasnt helped this year by cutting the budget as much as they did.how can we compete with the rest of the league losing alot of our players .we were a strong club doing well year in year out.now we are fighting to stay in the league,yes john caulfield is a big problem with hisnegative football,but foras isnt helping either.they are pulling us back now,i know people are afraid of it over what happened before,but we need proper investment in the club.
@troy holland: You are right about foras, they have to take responsibility for their part in this mess. I would love to know what their strategic plan is for the next couple of seasons, that’s if they have one. Its a dangerous game they are playing and so far it looks like they are on the wrong path….
@Michéal Breathnach: yes your right .i was wondering was i the only one thinking this.the season was lost even before it started.
Good times are gone now, foras have decided that we will no longer challenge for the League and Cup, which is fine if thats the way they want to run the club but gates will drop massively , won’t sell any merchandise and zero atmosphere at games. Wonder why Foras are so quiet at the moment? Will they publickly back the present management team? Strange…..
Looks like that question wasn’t so unfair after all.
He was stubborn when we were winning and hes still the same now. No change with him. None at all.
I feel the players have lost a huge amount of appetite and those who have come in, predominantly are no where near the quality needed.
However I do feel that a few of the younger players are real jems.
A huge reset button this season is being pushed. I hope there is a long term plan in place