The 10 Richest Sports Franchises in the World
Initially, sports were designed for entertainment purposes, but with time, they have developed to be one of the greatest sources of income in the world. They are regulated by the laws of the countries in which they operate and the bodies which supervise them. To attract more fans, who are the key generators of profits, different owners of sports franchises are investing a lot in advertisements, players, and stadiums. This article will discuss the world’s top 10 richest sports franchises as of 2022.
10. Real Madrid ($5.1 billion)
The La Liga Football Club is based in Madrid, Spain, and has a cult-like following. Whenever you want to read about Real Madrid and open any page on the internet, you shall see a player in a white shirt lifting a trophy. The home ground of the Santiago Bernabeu. It is the greatest rival of FC Barcelona. The football club was established in 1902, and since then, it has grown to be one of the most successful clubs in the world. It produces itself as the home of some of the greatest footballers. The Sportskeeda names Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Sergio Ramos, Zinedine Zidane, Ferenc Puskas, and Raul as some of the finest players for the club.
Real Madrid has been under the leadership of Florentino Perez since 2009, and he has been a vocal figure in the football world. It is one of the most decorated teams with 35 National LaLiga titles, 19 Copa del Rey champions, 14 European Cup winners (the only one to win it three times under Zinedine Zidane), and seven winners of the FIFA Club World Cup. It is currently under coach Carlo Ancelotti with Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior, and Luka Modric is among its best players. Depending on the magnitude of the game and seating position, be ready to part with an average of $392.71 to watch home matches for the football team.
9. New York Jets ($5.4 billion)
The Statistica reported a value of $5.4 billion for the New York Jets. This is an American Professional Football Team member of the American Football Conference and plays in the NFL League. It shares the home stadium with the New York Giants, and they all play in the MetLife Stadium. Currently, it has its headquarters in Florham Park, New Jersey. It is a legally limited company registered under New York Jets, LLC. It was founded in 1959 and was among the initial teams forming the American Football League.
The team, which dawns Gotham Green, spotlight White, and stealth black, is owned by Woody and Christopher Johnson. It has Hymie Elhai as its president, Joe Douglas as its General Manager, and Robert Salaeh as its head Coach. The team has only changed names twice; between 1960 to 1962, they were called the Titans of New York, and they changed the name to the current name in 1963. They have one Super Bowl Championship (1968) and one AFL Championship, which they won in 1968.
8. Golden State Warriors ($5.6 billion)
According to Yahoo! Finance, the Golden State Warriors joined the 2022 year with a value of $5.6 billion. The professional basketball team was formed in 1946, and the team is currently based in San Francisco. It was among the first teams to form the Basketball Association of America, which it won in 1947 and 1956. At the time, it was led by Tom Gola, Paul Arizin, and Neil Johnston, who all ended up in the Basketball Hall of Fame. It has had three name changes; the Philadelphia Warriors from 1945 to 1962, the San Francisco Warriors from 1962 to 1971, and the Golden State Warriors from 1971.
With Brandon Schneider being its current president, the team is under the sponsorship of Rakuten. Its general manager is Bob Myers, and the head coach is Steve Kerr. Joe Lacob owns most of the Golden State Warriors shares; the rest is under Peter Guber. So far, it has won 7 championships (1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022). The team’s dominant colors are royal blue and yellow. Other than the players mentioned herein, other famous players of the Golden State Warriors are Neil Johnson (1953-1958), Jack George (1956-1957), and Woody Sauldsberry (1959).
7. Chicago Bears ($5.8 million)
The 20121-2022 was one of the best years for the Chicago Bears. It recorded a value increase of up to $5.8 million. The American professional team was formed in 1919. It is a member of the National Football Conference and competes in the National Football League. Together with the Arizona Cardinals, they are the only remaining founders of the NFL, but it has its headquarters in Halas Hall, Chicago. The Virginia Halas McCaskey owns the team with its general manager Ryan Poles and the head coach Matt Eberflus.
It has been changing names from the Decatur Staleys (1919-1920) to Chicago Staleys (1921), and now it is Chicago Bears since 1922. The Da Bears and The Monster of the Midway have been the team’s nicknames. The Chicago Bear boasts one Super Bowl Championship (1985) and 8 NFL Championships. Before being bought by the current owners, it was under presidents George Halas (1921-53), George Halas Jnr (1963-1979), and Michael McCaskey (1983-1999). The team wears Navy Blue, burnt orange, and white uniforms.
6. New York Knicks ($5.8 billion)
The Sporting News, the Value of the New York Knicks went up to $5.8 billion in 2022. The American basketball team is based in New York City in their cabinet. It was established in 1946 and was among the first teams to form the Basketball Association of America. They have two National Basketball Association (NBA) championships, among the best-paying franchises in professional basketball.
Some of the top-ranked players of the Knicks are Patrick Ewing (1985-2000), Walt Frazier (1968-1977), Willis Reed (1964-1974), Earl Monroe (1972-1980), and Dave DeBusschere (1968-1974). Currently, the team’s general manager is Scott Perry; Tom Thibodeau is its head coach and is owned by Madison Square Garden Sports. The main sponsor of the New York Knicks is Squarespace. It uses Madison Square Garden as its home arena.
5. New York Giants ($6 billion)
When it comes to the top richest franchises in the world, the American Football teams have a great say in it. The New York Giants was formed in 1925 by Tim Mara. Mara went on to own the team till his death in 1959. So far, they have won 4 Super Bowls. Under the leadership of Mara, the team won 8 National Football League Championships. The team started getting high-level support by drawing a spectator crowd of 70,000 in the first season.
The signing of Polo Grounds, one of the most famous players of the 1920s, marketed the team among its neighborhoods. They won their first NFL in 1927 under the famous defensive skills of Steve Owen. In 1956 they moved from the Polo Grounds and relocated to Yankee Stadium. At the same time, they won the fourth and the last NFL Championship back), under the leadership of Frank Gifford (a running back) and Sam Huff (a linebacker).
According to Sponsor Pitch, some of the leading sponsors of the team are HCL Technologies, Altec Lansing, Ford Signs, Constellation Brands, and Adpro Sports. Currently, the team is under the leadership of coach Brian Daboll. The team is now based in the MetLife Stadium. Big Blue, G-Men, New York Football Giants, and Big Blue Wrecking Crew are some of the club’s nicknames.
4. New York Yankees ($6 billion)
The New York Yankees is one of the most successful teams in Major League Baseball. It is based in the Bronx, New York, United States. The team started as the Baltimore Orioles in 901, and when it moved to New York, it was named the New York Highlanders. in 1913, the team acquired the current name. The Yankees started building their team aggressively in the 1920s by poaching players from the Boston Red Sox- Babe Ruth was the most resourceful player they poached. By 1923, they had already established their stadium, the Yankee Stadium. In 1927, they had one of the best team line-ups, which would later be nicknamed the ‘murder row.’
From 1931, they won 12 consecutive World Series games under the leadership of Joe McCarthy. After the retirement of Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio became the new celebrity, leading the team to win 4 World Series titles from 1936 to 1939. The team is the winner of 27 World Series championships and 18 division titles. The Hall of Fame of the MLB has 444 players and 11 managers from the Yankees. Though admired by the New Yorkers, they are most hated by the fans of the Red Sox.
3. Los Angeles Rams ($6.2 billion)
Los Angeles Rams, an American Football team based in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The team competes in the National Football League. They were formed in 1936 under the name “Cleveland Rams.” The team is under the ownership of Stan Kroenke, Les Snead is its general manager, and Sean McVay is its head coach. So far, they are proud winners of two NFL Championships in 1945 and 1951. In addition, they have also won two Super Bowls in 2000 and 2022. 1943 was their most devastating year, for they had to suspend operations due to a shortage of players due to World War II.
In the 1950s, they had some of the most outstanding players, such as Norm Van Brocklin (a quarterback), Elroy Hirsch, and Tom Fear (Ends). They all ended up in the Hall of Fame. In the 1960s, the team combined the services of Merlin Olsen and Roosevelt Drier (tackles), Deacon Jones, and Lamar Lundy (Ends). It has been nicknamed the Greatest Show on the Turf, The Mob Squad, and the Fearsome Foursome. It has four league championships, 8 Conference Championships, and 18 Division Championships. Since 2020, it has been using the SoFi Stadium as its home field.
2. New England Patriots ($6.4 billion)
Statistica shows that the franchise has been increasing positively in value, and by the end of August 2022, it was being valued at $6.4 billion. The American football team is based in Greater Boston, competing in the NFL and the American Football Conference, East Division. Since 1994, the team has been under the ownership of Robert Kraft, who turned around its marketing tactics.
It was founded in 1959 under the name Boston Patriots, and it joined the NFL in 1970 after the NFL and AFL merged. When it moved to Foxborough in 1971, it changed its name to New England Patriots. They are the NFL team with the highest number of Super Bowl wins-6. The team’s current head coach is Bill Belichick, who doubles as its general manager. Over the years, it has been identified with different nicknames such as the “The Pats,” ‘The Evil Empire,” and the “Boogeymen.” Currently, the team is based at Gillette Stadium.
1. Dallas Cowboys ($8 billion)
According to Forbes, the team value of the Dallas Cowboys as of August 2022 was $8 billion. The Cowboys joined the National Football League (NFL) in 1960 under the leadership of coach Tom Landry. They won their first season in 1966. It is owned by Jerry Jones, who bought it in 1989 after acquiring it, and firing Landry, the long-serving head coach, earned a lot of criticism from fans.
Some famous players it has produced are Bob Lilly, Dandy White, Bob Hayes, Mel Renfro, and Tony Dorsett. Major victories are the Super Bowl (19696, 1994, 1993, 1978, and 1972). The team has an operating income of $446 million and charges gate receipts of $102 million per year. Its key media partners are CBS 11 and The Fan radio. The club was the first to invest in cryptocurrency when it struck a deal with Blockchain.com, giving it the exclusive owner of the digital rights of the team. The club’s value has skyrocketed in the last five years by 43%.
In Conclusion
It is important to note that, in this year’s richest sports franchises, we only have one soccer team, Real Madrid, which has not been the case in the other years. COVID-19 has contributed to the decrease of their net value, for they depend highly on advertisements and stadium fees, which were disrupted by the pandemic. Nevertheless, sports remain one of the best avenues to invest your money, and you shall be assured of high returns.