Boy$ Will Be Boy$: Dalla$ Places Atop World’s Most Profitable Sports Franchises

By Barry Janoff

January 11, 2025: Some pro sports teams know how to turn a profit.

The Dallas Cowboys really know how to turn a profit.

The Cowboys, under the ownership of Jerry Jones, continue to be not only the most valuable sports franchise in the world but also the most profitable.

The NFL team is valued at $10.1 billion and this past year turned a profit of $564 million.

That makes them $1.3 billion more valuable than the No. 2 franchise in the world, the NBA’s Golden State Warriors ($8.8 billion), and nearly two-times more profitable than the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams, which had a  $286 million profit this past year and are valued at $7.6 billion (third overall behind Dallas and Golden State), according to Forbes.

The world’s most profitable pro sports franchises — versus the most valuable, with a different set of parameters — was determined by “estimated operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) during the most recent season with available data.”

To accentuate the difference, the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers at No. 4 on the most profitable list ($213 million), are not among the Top 50 most valuable franchises ($2.65 billion), the latter list with a cutoff value at $4.3 billion.

Similarly, Tottenham Hotspur (English Premier League), turned a profit of $161 million, 10th among all sports franchises, but are valued at $3.2 billion, which also does not make the Forbes Top 50 list of most valuable teams.

Concurrently, the No. 2 most valuable Golden State Warriors come in at No. 17 among the most profitable franchises ($142 million).

The Cowboys generated almost $800 million from what was defined as “local revenue,” which includes sponsorship deals, merchandise, ticket sales and concessions in AT&T Stadium.

The Top Five most profitable sports franchises also include No. 3 New England Patriots (NFL): Profit: $261 million, Value: $7.4 billion; and No. 5 Los Angeles Lakers (NBA): Profit: $199 million, Value: $7.1 billion.

The 20 most profitable sports franchises in the world include nine NFL teams, five NBA teams, three NHL teams and three from the English Premier League.

Those 20 teams generated an estimated $3.9 billion in profit during the most recent season with available data, or an average of $195 million per team — up 12% from the previous year.

The five major pro sports leagues in North America (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS) generated a combined $7.66 billion in sponsorship revenue last year, per Forbes.

Most Profitable Sports Franchises

1. Dallas Cowboys (NFL): Value: $10.1 billion. Owner: Jerry Jones. Profit: $564 million.

Los Angeles Rams (NFL): Value: $7.6 billion. Owner: E. Stanley Kroenke. Profit: $286 million.

New England Patriots (NFL): Value: $7.4 billion. Owner: Robert Kraft. Profit: $261 million.

Edmonton Oilers (NHL): Value: $2.65 billion. Owner: Daryl Katz. Profit: $213 million.

5. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA): Value: $7.1 billion. Owners: Jerry Buss Family Trusts, Mark Walter, Todd Boehly. Profit: $199 million.

New York Giants (NFL): Value: $7.3 billion. Owners: John Mara, Steven Tisch. Profit: $190 million.

Manchester United (Premier League): Value: $6.55 billion. Owners: Glazer family, James Ratcliffe.  Profit: $187 million.

New York Knicks (NBA). Value: $7.5 billion. Owner: Madison Square Garden Sports. Profit: $182 million.

Houston Texans (NFL): Value: $6.1 billion. Owner: Cal McNair. Profit: $164 million

10. Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League):  Value: $3.2 billion. Owners: Joseph Lewis Family Trust, Daniel Levy. Profit: $161 million.

11. Houston Rockets (NBA): Value $4.9 billion. Owner: Tilman Fertitta. Profit: $160 million.

11. Washington Commanders (NFL): Value $$6.3 billion. Owner: Josh Harris. Profit: $160 million.

12. Dallas Mavericks (NBA): Value $4.7 billion. Owners: Adelson Family, Mark Cuban. Profit: $158 million.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (NFL): Value: $6.6 billion. Owner: Jeffrey Lurie. Profit: $158 million.

Manchester City (Premier League): Value: $5.1 billion. Owner: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Profit: $148 million.

Indianapolis Colts (NFL): Value: $4.8 billion. Owner: Jim irsay. Profit: $146 million.

San Francisco 49ers (NFL): Value: $6.8 billion. Owners: York Family. Profit: $144 million.

Los Angeles Kings (NHL): Value: $2.9 billion. Owner: Philip Anschutz. Profit: $143 million.

Golden State Warriors (NBA): Value: $8.8 billion. Owners: Joe Lacob, Peter Guber. Profit: $142 million.

20. Montreal Canadiens (NHL): Value: $3 billion. Owner: Molson Family. Profit: $142 million.

Source: Forbes

Most Valuable Sports Franchises

1. Dallas Cowboys NFL $10.1 billion

Golden State Warriors NBA $8.8 billion

Los Angeles Rams NFL $7.6 billion

New York Yankees MLB $7.55 billion

5. New York Knicks NBA $7.5 billion

New England Patriots NFL $7.4 billion

New York Giants NFL $7.3 billion

Los Angeles Lakers NBA $7.1 billion

New York Jets NFL $6.9 billion

10. San Francisco 49ers NFL $6.8 billion

Source: Forbes

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