Golden Knights Stanley Cup Win a Seminal Moment for Vegas Sports

The Vegas Golden Knights are NHL champions — just six seasons after entering the league.

In 2016, Golden Knights owner Bill Foley paid an expansion fee of $500 million, and at the end of 2022, the team was already valued at $965 million by Forbes — 16th in the NHL and just under the average franchise value of $1.03 billion.

The franchise’s value and appeal will only increase with the team’s 4-1 series win over the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final on Tuesday night, giving Las Vegas its first men’s professional sports championship. The WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces won the 2022 WNBA title.

With their popularity on the rise, the Golden Knights will soon begin a multiyear deal with Scripps Sports to air games for free in Nevada and four surrounding states. 

Teams and leagues across sports have embraced Sin City on an unprecedented scale in recent years. 

After the Golden Knights began playing at T-Mobile Arena in 2018, the NFL’s Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, making the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium their new home. In November, Formula 1 will bring a third U.S. race to Vegas in what promises to be one of the most expensive events on its schedule.

Meanwhile, the Oakland A’s continue to inch closer toward an official move to Vegas, which would give MLB a presence in Vegas if a ballpark deal finally comes to fruition.