The NFL is the most popular sports league in America. Each of the top 13 and all but three of the 85 most watched sports broadcasts in 2020 were of NFL games — and the 2021 season will likely be no different. This hold on America’s attention has helped make all 32 NFL franchises multibillion dollar operations.
To determine the most and least valuable teams in the NFL, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed Forbes’ annual evaluations of all 32 NFL teams. Forbes considered each franchise’s media deals, advertising, tickets, merchandise, stadium, and more to determine its value. Team statistics came from Pro Football Reference.
The average NFL franchise is worth $3.48 billion. A handful are worth over $1 billion less than that. One team remains far and away the most valuable, worth an estimated $6.5 billion. No other franchise in the league is estimated to be worth more than $5 billion.
Though both revenues and operating incomes were down in 2020, in large part due to COVID-19, media deals helped boost the value of each franchise by at least 10% compared to 2020. The NFL accounts for the majority of the 50 most valuable sports franchises worldwide. These are the sports teams worth the most money.
One of the common characteristics of the most valuable teams is past success. Winning teams are able to consistently draw in fans and sell more merchandise. The 10 most valuable teams hold a combined 30 Lombardi Trophies, while only one of the 10 least valuable teams has ever won the Super Bowl — though most of those teams have at least made it to the big game. These are the teams that have lost the most Super Bowls.
32. Buffalo Bills
> Value: $2.27 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 11%
> Owner(s): Terry and Kim Pegula
> 2020 operating income: -$17.6 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
31. Cincinnati Bengals
> Value: $2.275 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Michael Brown
> 2020 operating income: -$16.6 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
30. Detroit Lions
> Value: $2.4 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Ford family
> 2020 operating income: -$22.2 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
29. Cleveland Browns
> Value: $2.6 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 11%
> Owner(s): Dee and Jimmy Haslam
> 2020 operating income: $5.7 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
28. Tennessee Titans
> Value: $2.625 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Amy Adams Strunk
> 2020 operating income: -$12 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
27. Arizona Cardinals
> Value: $2.65 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Michael Bidwill
> 2020 operating income: -$16.2 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
> Value: $2.8 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Shahid Khan
> 2020 operating income: $68.8 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
25. New Orleans Saints
> Value: $2.825 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Gayle Benson
> 2020 operating income: -$15.7 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
24. Carolina Panthers
> Value: $2.91 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): David Tepper
> 2020 operating income: -$22 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
23. Los Angeles Chargers
> Value: $2.92 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 12%
> Owner(s): Dean Spanos
> 2020 operating income: -$48.7 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
22. Kansas City Chiefs
> Value: $2.93 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 17%
> Owner(s): Hunt family
> 2020 operating income: $9 million
> Super Bowl wins: 2
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
> Value: $2.94 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 29%
> Owner(s): Glazer family
> 2020 operating income: $1.9 million
> Super Bowl wins: 2
20. Atlanta Falcons
> Value: $3.2 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 11%
> Owner(s): Arthur Blank
> 2020 operating income: -$4 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
19. Indianapolis Colts
> Value: $3.25 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): James Irsay
> 2020 operating income: -$20 million
> Super Bowl wins: 2
18. Minnesota Vikings
> Value: $3.35 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Zygmunt Wilf
> 2020 operating income: -$9.7 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
17. Baltimore Ravens
> Value: $3.4 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Stephen Bisciotti
> 2020 operating income: -$20.7 million
> Super Bowl wins: 2
16. Las Vegas Raiders
> Value: $3.415 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 10%
> Owner(s): Mark Davis
> 2020 operating income: -$5.1 million
> Super Bowl wins: 3
15. Miami Dolphins
> Value: $3.42 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 18%
> Owner(s): Stephen Ross
> 2020 operating income: $7.9 million
> Super Bowl wins: 2
14. Pittsburgh Steelers
> Value: $3.43 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Daniel Rooney Trust, Arthur Rooney II
> 2020 operating income: $24.5 million
> Super Bowl wins: 6
13. Green Bay Packers
> Value: $3.475 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Shareholders
> 2020 operating income: -$33.5 million
> Super Bowl wins: 4
12. Seattle Seahawks
> Value: $3.5 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Paul G. Allen Trust
> 2020 operating income: -$20.8 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
11. Houston Texans
> Value: $3.7 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 12%
> Owner(s): Janice McNair
> 2020 operating income: -$20.2 million
> Super Bowl wins: 0
10. Denver Broncos
> Value: $3.75 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 17%
> Owner(s): Pat Bowlen Trust
> 2020 operating income: $8.2 million
> Super Bowl wins: 3
9. Philadelphia Eagles
> Value: $3.8 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 12%
> Owner(s): Jeffrey Lurie
> 2020 operating income: -$25.9 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
8. New York Jets
> Value: $4.05 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Johnson family
> 2020 operating income: $8.4 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
7. Chicago Bears
> Value: $4.075 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 16%
> Owner(s): McCaskey family
> 2020 operating income: -$3.6 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
6. San Francisco 49ers
> Value: $4.175 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 10%
> Owner(s): Denise DeBartolo York, John York
> 2020 operating income: -$45.4 million
> Super Bowl wins: 5
5. Washington Football Team
> Value: $4.2 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 20%
> Owner(s): Daniel Snyder
> 2020 operating income: $25 million
> Super Bowl wins: 3
4. Los Angeles Rams
> Value: $4.8 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 20%
> Owner(s): Stanley Kroenke
> 2020 operating income: $37.2 million
> Super Bowl wins: 1
3. New York Giants
> Value: $4.85 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 13%
> Owner(s): John Mara, Steven Tisch
> 2020 operating income: -$12.5 million
> Super Bowl wins: 4
2. New England Patriots
> Value: $5 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Robert Kraft
> 2020 operating income: $142.4 million
> Super Bowl wins: 6
1. Dallas Cowboys
> Value: $6.5 billion
> Change in value from 2020: 14%
> Owner(s): Jerry Jones
> 2020 operating income: $280.4 million
> Super Bowl wins: 5