WASHINGTON — Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has had a tough time building a winner on the field, but it seems like he’s doing a fine job with finances.
According to Forbes, the ‘Skins are worth $2.85 billion, making them the third most lucrative team in the NFL. On Sunday, the team opened the 2015-16 season with a 17-10 loss against the Miami Dolphins at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Not surprisingly, the Dallas Cowboys — the Redskins’ most-hated rival — is the league’s richest team. The team is worth $4 billion and last year generated revenue of $620 million, a record among U.S. sports teams. With an average of 90,000 fans per home game, the Cowboys ranked first in attendance, premium seating revenue ($120 million) and stadium revenue generated from non-NFL events ($30 million).
The New England Patriots — with a value of $3.2 billion — is the NFL’s second-richest team. The New York Giants — another NFC East rival — came in fourth at $2.8 billion and the San Francisco 49ers raked in $2.7 billion.
Each team plays in a big market in state-of-the-art stadiums full of fans. The average NFL team is worth $1.97 billion and each squad is very profitable. The Redskins have always been flush with cash, and at one point, FedEx Field was the league’s largest stadium.
All told, the fans still support the team despite their on-field record, but an offseason soap opera between former starting quarterback Robert Griffin III and head coach Jay Gruden could sour relations.
Though the ‘Skins lost Sunday, the team didn’t look terrible, so that could appease fans for a little while. Just don’t lose to the Cowboys twice. All that good will could evaporate.
