UPDATE: Forbes has now supplied The Biz of Football with the report. Other interesting findings...

• The Lions are listed as the only franchise to post an operating income loss at –3.1 million. Operating income is a measure of profit.
• Who profits the most? The Houston Texans with an operating income of 43.9 million.

More shortly 

-- Maury Brown

According to the annual valuation of all 32 franchises in the NFL by Forbes, the average value of an NFL team is worth over a billion dollars.

According to the report, the average value is now $1.04 billion, and increase of 8.7 percent compared to last year. New stadiums development helped increase values, including the Indianapolis Colts who see their ranking jump 13 spots to #8. As reported by Reuters, both New York teams have benefited from the jointly developed New Meadowlands Stadium currently beginning construction:

Both New York teams, the Giants and Jets, showed the biggest percentage gains at 21 percent, thanks to the new jointly owned stadium they will move into in 2010. The Giants moved to No. 4 at $1.178 billion, while the Jets were at No. 5 at $1.17 billion, Forbes said.

While the average team is now worth more than $1 billion, the owners cited the heavy costs associated with stadium construction, as well as high player salaries when they opted in May to terminate their labor contract early with the players union in a move to cut costs.

Also, those new stadiums bring with them higher costs for fans, as ticket prices continue to rise despite the weak U.S. economy. Last week, sports marketing firm Team Marketing Report said the average price of an NFL ticket rose 7.9 percent to $72.20, while the cost of an outing for a family of four has increased almost as much.

By comparison, the average MLB club is worth less than half what an average NFL franchise is worth. According to the Forbes valuation listing for MLB earlier this year, the average club in baseball is worth $472 million.

• The Nationals Need to Break the Status Woe - The Biz of Baseball
• Marlins Get Backing of Judge on Stadium Funding - The Biz of Baseball
• Debt Structure in Cubs Sale Has MLB Worried - The Biz of Baseball
• MLB, MLBPA Announce Update on Bat Safety Investigation - The Biz of Baseball
• At Current Pace, MLB Will Not Have Fifth Consecutive Attendance Record - The Biz of Baseball
• BofA Close to Major Sponsorship Deal at New Yankee Stadium - The Biz of Baseball
• PED Suspensions in Second Half of ’08 Reaches 51 - The Biz of Baseball
• Final Bids on Cubs Sale Due Late Sept., Early Oct. - The Biz of Baseball
• Great Julius Erving Stories - The Biz of Basketball
• Cheeks to Return as Sixers Coach - The Biz of Basketball
• The Bottom Line: NCAA Final Four Generated $47 Million for Host San Antonio - The Biz of Basketball
• Thunder Struck. OKC NBA Team Unveils Name, Logo - The Biz of Basketball
• NBA Development League Affiliations for 2008/09 Season Announced - The Biz of Basketball
• Howard Schultz Drops Lawsuit Against Sonics Owner Bennett - The Biz of Basketball
• Quinn and DiPofi Become Minority Owners of Sabres - The Biz of Hockey
• SEE IT: Trailer for 2K Sports' NHL 2K9 Game - The Biz of Hockey
• NHL Releases 2008-2009 Pre-Season Schedule - The Biz of Hockey
• Get Your Hockey Fix On - Register and Get Updates - The Biz of Hockey

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed