The NFL scarcely had any fans in the seats over the past season, but team values are booming.
The average team value grew 14% in the last year to $3.48 billion, according to Forbes.
Every team’s value increased by 10-20% in the past year, except for the Super Bowl-winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whose value grew 29% to $2.94 billion — still only 21st in the league.
The value was driven by the NFL’s string of high-value deals as media companies seek a reliable audience for America’s most popular sport.
- The league signed $113 billion in new media deals that run from 2023-33 (Amazon’s begins in 2022). Payouts to each team from these deals will grow steadily from $220 million this year to $377 million in 2032.
- The league’s venture wing, 32 Equity, has brought in annual returns over 30% on average since its launch in 2013. Its investments include Fanatics, Skillz, and Genius Sports.
- The Dallas Cowboys retained the top spot with a $6.5 billion valuation. The Denver Broncos, which may be sold in the next year, cracked the top 10 at $3.75 billion.
The league is reportedly planning to create a new company with some of its media and betting assets. The NFL would own the majority of the venture and bring in outside investors such as SoftBank, Apple, Twitter, and sovereign wealth funds.
