Falcons Among 50 Most Valuable Sports Franchises

Football is still the most popular sport in America, where NFL teams hauled in about $8.2 billion in shared revenue last season.

In world rankings, football doesn’t even make the top 10 most popular sports — unless it’s “association football,” or soccer. But the rougher version of football played in the United States is incredibly lucrative, dominating a ranking by Forbes of the most valuable sports franchises in the world.

Twenty-nine NFL teams made the cut, compared with eight basketball teams, seven soccer teams and six baseball teams.

The Atlanta Falcons ranked 29th, worth a total of $2.475 billion, one rank below the Baltimore Ravens, $2.5 billion, and one rank above the Manchester City soccer team at $2.474 billion.

Collectively, the NFL teams hauled in about $8.2 billion in revenue, or $255 million per team, according to the Forbes ranking of the most valuable sports teams.

That’s not a surprise, given the most recent Gallup Poll that showed football is still America’s favorite spectator sport. Popularity is sliding some after criticism of domestic violence by NFL players, the physical and mental toll of the sport and national anthem protests, but it’s still the favorite of 37 percent of Americans.

That poll showed 11 percent of American adults prefer basketball, 9 percent prefer baseball and 7 percent prefer soccer.

The Dallas Cowboys NFL team topped the Forbes ranking and is valued at $4.8 billion, up 14 percent from the year prior. Here’s the breakdown of the top 50. For more, click here:

Rank, Team, Value, 1-Yr change (Sport)
1. Dallas Cowboys, $4.8 billion, 14% (NFL)
2. Manchester United, $4.123 billion, 12% (Soccer)
3. Real Madrid, $4.09 billion, 14% (Soccer)
4. Barcelona, $4.064 billion, 12% (Soccer)
5. New York Yankees, $4 billion, 8% (MLB)
6. New England Patriots, $3.7 billion, 9% (NFL)
7. New York Knicks, $3.6 billion, 9% (NBA)
8. Los Angeles Lakers, $3.3 billion, 10% (NBA)
8. New York Giants, $3.3 billion, 6% (NFL)
10. Golden State Warriors, $3.1 billion, 19% (NBA)
10. Washington Redskins, $3.1 billion, 5% (NFL)
12. Bayern Munich, $3.063 billion, 13% (Soccer)
13. San Francisco 49ers, $3.05 billion, 2% (NFL)
14. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3 billion, 9% (MLB)
14. Los Angeles Rams, $3 billion, 3% (NFL)
16. Chicago Cubs, $2.9 billion, 8% (MLB)
17. San Francisco Giants, $2.85 billion, 8% (MLB)
17. Chicago Bears, $2.85 billion, 6% (NFL)
19. Boston Red Sox, $2.8 billion, 4% (MLB)
19. Houston Texans, $2.8 billion, 8% (NFL)
21. New York Jets, $2.75 billion, 0% (NFL)
22. Philadelphia Eagles, $2.65 billion, 6% (NFL)
23. Chicago Bulls, $2.6 billion, 4% (NBA)
23. Denver Broncos, $2.6 billion, 8% (NFL)
25. Miami Dolphins, $2.575 billion, 8% (NFL)
26. Green Bay Packers, $2.55 billion, 9% (NFL)
27. Boston Celtics, $2.5 billion, 14% (NBA)
27. Baltimore Ravens, $2.5 billion, 9% (NFL)
29. Atlanta Falcons, $2.475 billion, 16% (NFL)
30. Manchester City, $2.474 billion, 19% (Soccer)
31. Pittsburgh Steelers, $2.45 billion, 9% (NFL)
32. Seattle Seahawks, $2.425 billion, 9% (NFL)
33. Minnesota Vikings, $2.4 billion, 9% (NFL)
34. Oakland Raiders, $2.38 billion, 13% (NFL)
35. Indianapolis Colts, $2.375 billion, 9% (NFL)
36. Brooklyn Nets, $2.3 billion, 28% (NBA)
36. Carolina Panthers, $2.3 billion, 11% (NFL)
38. Los Angeles Chargers, $2.275 billion, 9% (NFL)
39. Arsenal, $2.238 billion, 16% (Soccer)
40. Houston Rockets, $2.2 billion, 33% (NBA)
41. Los Angeles Clippers, $2.15 billion, 7% (NBA)
41. Arizona Cardinals, $2.15 billion, 6% (NFL)
43. New York Mets, $2.1 billion, 5% (MLB)
43. Kansas City Chiefs, $2.1 billion, 12% (NFL)
45. Jacksonville Jaguars, $2.075 billion, 6% (NFL)
46. Chelsea, $2.062 billion, 12% (Soccer)
47. Tennessee Titans, $2.05 billion, 2% (NFL)
48. New Orleans Saints, $2 billion, 14% (NFL)
49. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $1.975 billion, 10% (NFL)
50. Cleveland Browns, $1.95 billion, 5% (NFL)

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Photo by Patch Editor John Barker