Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?
Baseball’s media ecosystem is undergoing huge changes, but that hasn’t stopped team values from soaring.
The New York Yankees’ lofty perch became even loftier as the team’s valuation rocketed 18% from last year to $7.1 billion, per Forbes’ latest tally.
Using 2022’s NFL team valuations, that would make the Yankees the second-most valuable sports team in the world after the $8 billion Dallas Cowboys.
After the Yankees, there’s a steep dropoff to the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers ($4.8 billion), followed by other major-market teams like the Boston Red Sox ($4.5 billion), Chicago Cubs ($4.1 billion), and San Francisco Giants ($3.7 billion).
The bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, which broadcasts 14 MLB teams, presents challenges for many teams outside the biggest media markets. The top teams are generally insulated from that issue — many have standalone sports networks, such as the Yankees’ YES Network.
The average team value grew 12%, despite 10 teams registering an operating loss — led by the free-spending New York Mets (sixth at $2.9 billion), who took a $138.5 million hit.
Success on the field was rewarded as well: The Seattle Mariners, who made the playoffs last year for the first time since 2001, saw their valuation leap 29% to $2.2 billion.
