The average value of the world's 50 leading sports teams rose to $3.43 billion in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual list published by Forbes on Friday that was topped by the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
Forbes said the average value of the world's 50 most valuable teams on the list was up 11 percent from last year's ranking.
World's Most Valuable Sports Teams -- Forbes' 2021 List Revealed https://t.co/iIAst4wwZu pic.twitter.com/uGx81G1Z4g
— Forbes (@Forbes) May 7, 2021
That increase during a year in which the sporting calendar was upended due to the pandemic while many competitions were held in empty venues was attributed to ever-escalating media rights deals, Forbes said.
The Cowboys, who have topped the list since they unseated Spanish soccer club Real Madrid in 2016, were valued at $5.7 billion, a 3.6 percent rise when compared to last year.
Major League Baseball's New York Yankees ($5.3 billion), the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks ($5 billion) and soccer's Barcelona ($4.76 billion) and Real Madrid ($4.75 billion) rounded out the top five. Here is the full list of the world's richest soccer clubs, according to Forbes.
The list was made up of teams from four sports, with the NFL leading the way with 26, followed by basketball (9), soccer (9) and baseball (6).
Forbes’ Most Valuable Sports Franchises 2021
1. Dallas Cowboys (NFL) — $5.7 billion
2. New York Yankees (MLB) — $5.25 billion
3. New York Knicks (NBA) — $5 billion
4. Barcelona (LaLiga) — $4.76 billion
5. Real Madrid (LaLiga) — $4.75 billion
6. Golden State Warriors (NBA) — $4.7 billion
7. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) — $4.6 billion
8. New England Patriots (NFL) — $4.4 billion
9. New York Giants (NFL) — $4.3 billion
10. Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) — $4.21 billion
11. Manchester United (Premier League) — $4.2 billion
12. Liverpool (Premier League) — $4.1 billion
13. Manchester City (Premier League) — $4 billion
25. Chelsea (Premier League) — $3.2 billion
38. Arsenal (Premier League) — $2.8 billion
43. PSG (Ligue 1) — $2.5 billion
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto Editing by Toby Davis)
