The World's Most Valuable
Sports Teams
18 July 2012
#10 Arsenal
Value: $1.29 billion
Owner: Stan Kroenke
Arsenal has won the second-most
FA Cups (10), just one fewer than Manchester United. Match day revenue of $150
million in 2011 was fourth highest among soccer teams.The Gunners' commercial
revenue was $74 million in 2011, but got a boost last season due to new
sponsorship agreements with brewer Carlsberg and Betsson, the gaming company.
#9 New York Giants
Value: $1.3 billion
Owners: John Mara, Steven Tisch
The Giants celebrated their
second Super Bowl title in five seasons in February, led by MVP Eli Manning
(above). MetLife acquired naming rights to the New Meadowlands Stadium last
year, filling a glaring hole in the stadium's financial picture from when it
opened in 2010. MetLife was paying $7 million annually as a cornerstone
partner, but the naming-rights deal is expected to cost more than $400 million
over 25 years. It would represent the biggest naming-rights deal for a current
NFL stadium (Farmers Insurance has pledged $23 million per year if a new
stadium is built in Los Angeles). The stadium, home to both the Giants and
Jets, is scheduled to host the 2014 Super Bowl.
#8 Barcelona
Value: $1.31 billion
Owner: Club members
Barcelona has won two UEFA
Champions League titles over the past four seasons, riding the golden feet of
Lionel Messi (above). Barca's home stadium, Camp Nou, has the biggest seating
capacity of top European teams at 99,400. The team's broadcasting revenue of
$266 million was tops among all soccer teams in 2011.
#6 New England Patriots
Value: $1.4 billion
Owner: Robert Kraft
The Patriots are one of the NFL's
best-run teams on and off the field. The Patriots have sold out every game at
Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002 and made the playoffs eight of the
past nine years. Quarterback Tom Brady (above) is just the second quarterback, after
John Elway, to lead his team to the Super Bowl five times. Brady's last trip to
the Super Bowl ended in disappointment when the Pats lost to the New York
Giants for the second time in five seasons in the big game.
#6 Los Angeles Dodgers
Value: $1.4 billion
Owner: Guggenheim Baseball
Frank McCourt sold the Dodgers in
April through a bankruptcy court-led auction to Guggenheim Baseball for $2
billion. The deal included an additional $150 million to create a joint venture
with McCourt on the parking lots and land around Dodger Stadium. The new
ownership group includes Los Angeles Lakers' great Magic Johnson, former
president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals Stan Kasten and film
producer Peter Guber. Chicago financial services firm Guggenheim Partners
financed most of the deal. The new group paid a record price for the franchise
based on an impending new local TV deal that is expected to be worth more than
$3.5 billion in cash and equity.
#5 Washington Redskins
Value: $1.56 billion
Owner: Daniel Snyder
The Redskins have made the
playoffs only three times since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999. That hasn't
stopped fans from flocking to FedEx Field and making the Redskins the NFL's
most profitable team in recent years. The 'Skins paid a king's ransom in April
of three first round draft picks and a second round choice in a trade with the
St. Louis Rams for the right to select Robert Griffin III (#10 above) with the
second overall pick. Griffin won the 2011 Heisman Trophy while at Baylor.
#3 Dallas Cowboys
Value: $1.85 billion
Owner: Jerry Jones
Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones is a
master salesman and has attracted the NBA All-Star game, the Super Bowl, a
Manny Pacquiao fight, soccer matches, concerts and more to Cowboys Stadium
since the $1.2 billion venue opened in 2009. It will host the 2014 NCAA Men's
Final Four as well. The stadium can hold 110,000 people, including standing
room. One thing Jones has not been able to sell is naming rights to the
building, which could fetch $15 million annually.
#3 New York Yankees
Value: $1.85 billion
Owner: Steinbrenner family
The Yankees are just part of a
money making machine that also includes the YES Network and Legends
Hospitality. YES, the team's 34%-owned regional sports channel, is the most
profitable RSN in the country with operating income of more than $200 million. Legends,
the stadium management and concessions company owned by the Yankees, Dallas
Cowboys and Goldman Sachs, signed a deal last year to sell season tickets at
the San Francisco's 49ers new stadium. The enterprise value for the Yankees,
YES and Legends is estimated to be $5.5 billion.
#2 Real Madrid
Value: $1.88 billion
Owner: Club members
Real Madrid had the highest
revenues of any soccer team during the 2010-11 season and was the most
profitable team in all of sports during 2011, with operating income of $214
million. Club members have owned and operated the team since it was founded in
1902. Real won its record 32nd La Liga title in 2012, led by its star winger
Cristiano Ronaldo
#1 Manchester United
Value: $2.23 billion
Owner: Glazer family
The Red Devils are the world's
most valuable sports team and have a long tradition of great play on the pitch.
Manchester United has captured a record 19 English Premiership titles and
claims to have 659 million fans worldwide. Next up for the Red Devils: an IPO
on the New York Stock Exchange to reduce debt from Malcolm Glazer's purchase of
the club in 2005.
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