Forbes Ranks Jaguars No. 23 Most Valuable NFL Franchise
The Jacksonville Jaguars have jumped a few spots in the latest edition of Forbes valuations of every major sports franchise, according to figures Forbes released Friday.
In 2019, the Jaguars were ranked as the 25th-most valuable NFL team and the 49th-most valuable sports team overall, holding a value of $2.08 billion. This year, the Jaguars have improved to the 23rd-most valuable NFL team and the 44th-most valuable sports team, with their value increasing to $2.33 billion, according to Forbes.
The other NFL teams in Forbes' top-50 the Jaguars were ranked above by in terms of monetary value were as follows:
24: Kansas City Chiefs $2.30 billion
25: New Orleans Saints $2.28 billion
26: Arizona Cardinals $2.25 billion
27: Tampa Bay Buccaneers $2.20 billion
The two teams on this list who were ranked above the Jaguars a year ago were the Chiefs (No. 47 in 2019) and the Arizona Cardinals (No. 46 in 2019).
Twenty-seven of the NFL's 32 teams appear on Forbes' top-50 list. The only teams not to be listed as one of the 50 most valuable franchises in sports are the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans.
"Football claims 27 spots on the ranking, a reflection not only of its massive stadium draws but also its TV appeal," Forbes wrote. "Of the 100 top broadcasts in 2019, 88 were sporting events and 73 were NFL games. The NFL’s current U.S. TV rights are worth $6.5 billion on average per year, a number expected to nearly double in a new deal currently being hashed out, according to sports media consultant Lee Berke of LHB Sports. "
Considering Jaguars owner Shad Khan bought the Jaguars from Wayne Weaver for $770 million in 2011, the fact the Jaguars continue to climb in these rankings, and in their total value, is a good sign on the return in investment Khan put into the team.
Jacksonville was planning to play two home games in London in 2020 as a way to continue to generate revenue for the franchise, but those games were cancelled, along with every other international NFL game, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
