Dallas Cowboys Reach Major Milestone in Forbes Most Valuable Team List

The Forbes Magazine has announced that the Dallas Cowboys have become the first American sports franchise worth more than $2 billion.

The Cowboys, who begin their season tonight against the Super Bowl champions New York Giants have remained NFL’s most valuable team for the sixth consecutive year with their overall worth increasing to 14 per cent to $2.1 billion.That’s about $1 billion higher than the average NFL team value, $1.11 billion, up 7 per cent.

Only Manchester United of the English Premier League, at $2.24 billion, is more valuable than the Cowboys, according to Forbes’ surveys. And Man U’s owners, the Glazer family, also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are $1.033 billion, 18th in the NFL.

New TV contracts, the collective bargaining agreement signed last year that will last a decade, and higher premium seating revenue contributed to the increases. Every franchise except the Cincinnati Bengals increased in value; the Bengals stayed the same at $871 million, which ranks 26th overall.

With new stadiums in the works for the Vikings and 49ers, their values skyrocketed. Minnesota had a 22 per cent increase to $975 million, while San Francisco moved up 19 per cent to $1.175 billion.

Jimmy Haslam III bought the Cleveland Browns this summer for $1 billion, $13 million more than the value Forbes placed on the team, which ranks 21st.

Shahid Khan purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars for $770 million in January. Forbes values them at exactly that — the least valuable franchise in the league, $10 million less than the St. Louis Rams.

Rounding out the top five are New England ($1.635 billion), Washington ($1.6 billion), the New York Giants ($1.468 billion) and Houston ($1.305 billion).