Top 10 Wealthiest Sports Teams In The World

Sports across the globe is a big business, as each year millions of fans fill stadiums to watch their favorite teams battle it out to win (or lose). Athletes now earn millions, and Team owners are more than willing to dish out big bucks for top talent to give their team a competitive edge and to attract more fans.

More fans equals more money because fans purchase tickets, merchandise and watch television ads— all of which are the biggest sources of income for sports teams. Sports teams couldn’t survive without the support of fans. By purchasing items like the massive “No. 1 Foam Finger” or the beer cap, you’re helping to keep your favorite sports team alive.

Six of the richest sports teams in the world are in the United States, most of which are in the NFL. You won’t find many surprises on this list except for perhaps the order itself. Here’s our list of the top 10 wealthiest sports teams in the world. Unless there’s a hefty offer from someone to buy one of these teams, they’ll probably stay on this list and increase in value for some time.

#10 – New York Giants ($1.55 Billion)

The Giants are one of the most popular teams in the NFL. They have a long history of football under their belt, which has led to four Super Bowl championships. Without a franchise quarterback for over a decade, trading for Eli Manning during the 2004 NFL Draft helped the team return to the limelight.

After winning a few titles, the Giants’ estimated value skyrocketed. What truly launched them into the top 10 was the construction of their new stadium, MetLife Stadium. The Giants don’t actually play in New York, which rubs some people the wrong way (they play in New Jersey). The Giants are also one of the league’s oldest teams at 90 years old.

#9 – Washington Redskins ($1.7 Billion)

The Washington Redskins haven’t found much success over the last couple of decades (their last championship was in 1991), but they have some of the most dedicated fans in the league. Much like the Giants, the Redskins don’t actually play in Washington (they play in Landover, Maryland) and share the same division of the NFC East.

The Redskins are also a beacon of controversy due to their name, which many believe is racist. Of course, the owner (Dan Snyder) is not a well-liked guy in the public’s eye. But you don’t have to be a nice guy to be worth a lot of money, and Snyder’s financial moves as the Redskins owner has launched the team into the top 10. It might be a while until the Redskins win another Super Bowl, but they won’t be going bankrupt anytime soon.

#8 – New England Patriots ($1.8 Billion)

Fresh off of a win from the Super Bowl XLIX, the New England Patriots might see another spike in their team’s value soon. Thanks to stable coaching and a strong quarterback with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, the Patriots have won four championships since 2001. An onslaught of new fans have been making big time merchandise and season ticket purchases to boost the Patriots income.

The history of the Patriots before Belichick and Brady was sketchy at best with only two Super Bowl appearances that both ended in losses. These days, the Pats are one of the most recognizable teams in the NFL and one of the most polarizing. It seems that people either love or hate them. That’s usually what happens when you get caught cheating several times.

#7 – FC Bayern Munich ($1.85 Billion)

FC Bayern Munich is the only German team on our list, and easily the most successful team in Germany. The soccer club is responsible for 24 championships in Germany and has been growing their fan base since their inception in 1900. The success of FC Bayern Munich should not come as a surprise since no other team can come close to affording the caliber of players.

It’s not just soccer that FC Bayern Munich has an interest in. There are other departments of the club that include basketball, bowling, gymnastics, and even chess. While the chess club might not be pulling in the same amount of dollars as the soccer club, it’s still interesting to see how diversified the club is. FC Bayern Munich has won the German cup in six of the last 10 years and is now going for a seventh.

#6 – Los Angeles Dodgers ($2 Billion)

The Dodgers are one of the oldest teams on this list, having been established in 1883. They might be in the Los Angeles right now, but the state of California was only 33 years old when the Dodgers became a team. After playing in Brooklyn for several decades, the Dodgers moved out West and eventually established Dodger Stadium, the third oldest stadium in Major League Baseball.

The team has not undergone a name change since 1932; some of their older names included the Bridegrooms and Robins. It’s a good thing they changed their name to the Dodgers, as it’s much more recognizable. Since Frank McCourt sold the team to a group of owners that include Magic Johnson, the future of the franchise looks much brighter, instantly raising the team’s worth. Now if the Dodgers could just get their first title since 1988, their fans will be much happier.

#5 – Dallas Cowboys ($2.3 Billion)

The Dallas Cowboys are by far the highest valued National Football League team for many reasons. For more than 30 years, the Cowboys have been referred to as “America’s Team” due to their nationwide appeal. The Cowboys are on national TV more often than any other team and have the most fans. However, there are also a lot of people (namely Giants, Redskins and Eagles fans) that despise the Cowboys.

Since the Cowboys are so polarizing, they are a must-see on TV. With big rivalry games, an owner in the public eye, and the flashiest stadium in the entire league, the Cowboys scream pomp and circumstance each Sunday in the heart of Texas. They are also one of the youngest teams on this list, only starting in 1960 as an expansion team. The Cowboys haven’t recently had the success they once had, but they are still making the most money in football.

#4 – New York Yankees ($2.5 Billion)

Just like the Cowboys, the Yankees are the most liked and disliked team in their sport, and also the head of the class in terms of value. The Yankees are known worldwide as a baseball organization and have had some of the greatest players of all-time, such as; Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, and many more. No baseball team has as many retired members as the Yankees, which makes them have the richest history of Hall Of Famers in the league.

The Yankees have won more titles than any other MLB team. With 27 World Series titles and 40 American League pennants, the Yankees are the most successful team in American sports. George Steinbrenner made the team relevant nationally after a lull period, and the worth of the team has continued to climb ever since. With a huge regional TV contract, the Yankees are the most valuable team in America.

#3 – Manchester United ($2.81 Billion

Some might be surprised that Manchester United is not the number one team on this list since they have the most fans of any sport in the world. The Manchester United Team was publicly traded from 1991 to 2005, until it was purchased by Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner, Malcolm Glazer. In 2012, “Man U” was once again on the New York Stock Exchange as an IPO.

Buying the front jersey space for Manchester United is incredibly expensive; Chevrolet is the current front and center sponsor after a few years of Aon. Just how expensive is it? Over the course of seven years, General Motors is handing over a total of $559 million to the club for showing the Chevy logo. Man U has some of the most famous soccer players of all-time including Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, which adds to their appeal.

#2 – FC Barcelona ($3.2 Billion)

Just like FC Bayern Munich that we mentioned earlier, FC Barcelona isn’t just a soccer club. FC Barcelona also has an ice hockey team. Even though FC Barcelona is the second richest team in the entire world, they are not even the richest soccer team in Spain (which says a lot). However, FC Barcelona has been the most successful in the country, netting a total of 80 titles, including 22 La Liga trophies.

There are more than 1,300 fan clubs in the world for FC Barcelona, and those that are interested in joining can get discounts for traveling to the city to watch their beloved team. The team currently has one of the most famous players in the world, Lionel Messi, as one of its captains. Other notable players include Luis Suarez and Neymar, who have made the team a lot of money (despite being very expensive). FC Barcelona has been so successful that they have two people hired to manage their social media, which is good since they have 77 million Facebook followers.

#1 – Real Madrid ($3.44 Billion)

The most valuable team in the entire world wears white uniforms at home and pink uniforms when they are on the road. After obtaining Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Real Madrid has become the most famous team on the globe thanks to their marketable star. After 32 championships in La Liga over the course of the last 84 years, the team has dominated the league.

Real Madrid is also the defending champion of the UEFA Champions League, which is the biggest non-World Cup soccer game of the year. They are also rare when it comes to European teams since the members of their club are actually the owners. These owners are known as socios and that’s the way they have been operating since they were founded in 1902. As the game of soccer goes more worldwide thanks to TV and the internet, Madrid’s fan base is only likely to grow and make even more money.