Dallas Cowboys named most valuable team by Forbes Magazine
The Dallas Cowboys were once again named the most valuable team in the world by Forbes Magazine.
The list, published Wednesday, put the Cowboys at $4.8 billion, a 14 percent increase from last year. Rounding out the top five were three soccer teams -- Manchester United ($4.123B), Real Madrid ($4.088B) and FC Barcelona ($4.064B) -- and the New York Yankees. The Cowboys were also atop the list in 2017.
When Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989 -- he bought 100 percent of the stadium for $65 million and 60 percent of the team at a $63 million valuation -- 13 percent of the team had been foreclosed on and the Cowboys were losing $1 million a month.
CBS, which owned the Yankees, lost money on the sale to George Steinbrenner in 1973, selling the team for $8.7 million, having bought it three years prior for $11.2 million.
Of the 50 most valuable teams in Forbes' rankings, 29 are NFL teams, with the Cowboys, Patriots ($3.7 billion) New York Giants ($3.3 billion) and Washington Redskins ($3.1 billion) all in the top 10. Only the Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills failed to make the top 50.
The are eight NBA teams, with the New York Knicks ($3.6 billion), Los Angeles Lakers ($3.3 billion) and Golden State Warriors ($3.1 billion) in the top 10. The Warriors were purchased just eight years ago this week for a then NBA record $450 million.
The biggest gainer in terms of ranking on the list was the Houston Rockets, jumping up 14 spots to No. 40 with the $2.2 billion purchase by Tillman Fertitta. The biggest fall was the New York Jets, slipping eight spots to No. 21.
