Washington’s NFL team, currently called The Washington Football Team, is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers at No. 14 on Forbes’ new rankings of the most valuable sports franchises in the world, with an estimated value of $3.4 billion.
The team was No. 14 last year as well, tied then with the Chicago Cubs, but its valuation is up $300 million from the 2019 list.
Dan Snyder purchased the team in 1999 for $750 million.
The annual global list is dominated by U.S. NFL teams, though Forbes notes the average NBA team value has risen sixfold in the last decade, faster than any other sports league.
Topping the list for the fifth straight year is the Dallas Cowboys franchise. Forbes values the team at $5.5 billion. Owner Jerry Jones purchased the Cowboys in 1989 for $150 million.
The New York Yankees rank No. 2, worth an estimated $5 billion. The team, now owned by the Steinbrenner family, was purchased in 1973 by George Steinbrenner for $8.8 million.
The 10 most valuable sports franchises worldwide, as ranked by Forbes’ 2020 list:
- Dallas Cowboys, $5.5 billion
- New York Yankees, $5 billion
- New York Knicks, $4.6 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers, $4.4 billion
- Golden State Warriors, $4.3 billion
- Real Madrid, $4.24 billion
- New England Patriots, $4.1 billion
- Barcelona, $4.02 billion
- New York Giants, $3.9 billion
- Manchester United, $3.81 billion
The full list is posted on Forbes’ website.
