Cowboys Remain World's Most Valuable Sports Team, Lap Rest of NFL in Profits

Not only are the Dallas Cowboys still the league's most valuable franchise, but they are also trouncing the rest of the NFL in operating profits.

According to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico, the Cowboys are valued at $15.5 billion, which is $2.8 billion more than the next closest NFL team, the Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas' value jumped 21% over the past year in total.

The Cowboys generated a whopping $1.3 billion in revenue, which is only surpassed by Real Madrid when it comes to sports franchises globally.

At $510 million in operating profits, the Cowboys double the total of the second-place NFL team, which is also the Rams, who generated $255 million over the past year.

As Badenhausen notes, the Cowboys remain the NFL's only team to operate "outside of the league's shared merchandise system."

"It is a business that generates nearly $200 million in annual revenue," he added. "Dallas has re-upped several of its biggest sponsors over the past year, and the club’s $300 million in annual sponsorship revenue is nearly twice that of any other team."

The Cowboys are also bringing in plenty of dough from non-NFL events, which is included in Sportico's totals. The Rams, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons are among league leaders in that category with the Cowboys.

"Dallas is also among the top clubs for generating revenue outside of NFL events, alongside the Rams, Dolphins, Raiders and Atlanta Falcons," Badehausen wrote. "Top teams generate more than $100 million in gross revenue, and profits run into the tens of millions of dollars from concerts and other events, money that’s captured in Sportico‘s revenue reporting."

Of the 100 most valuable sports franchises on the planet, Dallas is tops, and NFL teams dominate the top 40, with all 32 sitting inside that range.

The average value for NFL teams sits at $9.43 billion and the average revenue number sits at $733 million, numbers that far exceed any other North American sports league. The league did, however, come in third in "average value-to-revenue" multiples behind the WNBA and MLB.

A massive profit

Dallas Cowboys chief brand officer Charlotte Jones (left) and owner Jerry Jones. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones purchased the team and its stadium for $150 million in 1989. That's quite the profit when you consider Dallas' current estimated value of $15.5 billion, which is sure to increase in the years ahead.

What makes Dallas' increase in value even more impressive is the fact that the team has not been to a Super Bowl or even an NFC title game in three decades.

It's a true testament to how well the Cowboys have done when it comes to building a powerhouse brand that is seemingly printing money at this point.

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