Indianapolis Colts Worth 'Only' $3.25 Billion
Sportico recently estimated the value of each NFL Franchise, and the Indianapolis Colts came in at $3.25 billion, which ranked them 26th in the league.
Sportico was launched in 2020 and focuses mainly on the business of sports, and the NFL is big business.
The Dallas Cowboys led the league and are considered the most valuable sports team in the United States at $7.64 billion. The league average was $4.1 billion, putting owner Jim Irsay and the Colts below the poverty line relative to NFL terms.
All but one of these values may actually be considered conservative. The Denver Broncos have an estimated value of $4.65 billion, but that's a comp, not an estimate.
The Broncos sold to the Walton-Penner group for $4.65 billion in deal that finalizes next week.
The Broncos value puts them 10th on the list, but they are only the 16th highest media market in the NFL according to Sports Media Watch.
While size of media market isn't the only criteria for estimating a franchise value, it's the biggest criteria.
Indianapolis comes in 25th on the same list, more or less matching their place on the franchise value list. There are several larger markets without teams, including Orlando at No. 17, but there is at least one NFL team in 18 of the top-20 media markets.
The NFL's salary cap is considered an important tool in maintaining some parity in the NFL. The combined value of the franchises in the NFL is estimated to be $132.5 billion.
Even a team like the Cleveland Browns who rank behind the Colts at 27th in overall value are able to afford a $250 million guaranteed contract to quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Revenue is up, team value is up, and contracts are up.
The NFL is a monster when it comes to financial clout.
