Rushing to the bank
Dallas Cowboys break NFL record with $9 billion value, says Forbes
Could this be their year?
How 'bout them dollars? The value of the Dallas Cowboys has rushed to a record-breaking $9 billion, says Forbes. The Cowboys are worth more than any other sports team in the world - still.
Forbes’ 2023 ranking of NFL team valuations, released August 30, puts the Cowboys at the top of the list for the 17th year in a row. For perspective, it's been 27 years since their last Super Bowl win.
World champions or not, Jerry Jones' Cowboys continue to have more success at the bank than any other NFL franchise. According to Forbes, their value rose 13 percent, year-over-year. In 2022, they were worth $8 billion; the year before that, $6.5 billion.
They're the first franchise ever to break the $9 billion mark.
"The Cowboys generate the most revenue ($1.1 billion) and operating income ($500 million) by far in the NFL," Forbes reports.
Breaking down the numbers, the Cowboys bring in $109 in gate receipts, $86 in revenue per fan, have $261 million in player expenses, and a wins-to-player cost ratio of 153.
The average NFL team is now worth $5.1 billion, up 14 percent from last year, Forbes says. The league was bolstered by the sale of the Washington Commanders, for $6.05 billion, in July.
Texas' only other pro football team, the Houston Texans, ranks 12th with a valuation of $5.5 billion, compared with $4.7 billion on last year’s list.
Forbes based its team valuations on revenue and operating income for the 2022 NFL season.
"During the 2022 season, average revenue for the league's 32 teams increased 8 percent, to $581 million, while operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) fell 14 percent, to an average of $126 million, due to a big year-over-year increase in player benefits that were deferred because of the pandemic," Forbes reports.
Teams will rake in even more cash this season, thanks in part to lucrative TV deals, including a Thursday Night Football deal with Amazon, the report says.
"These TV deals, when combined with the NFL’s salary cap ($208.6 million per team last season), make football the most scalable business in sports," Forbes says. "The master of scale is Jerry Jones."
The full report and breakdown of team valuations can be found on Forbes' website.
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