What is the Most Valuable Sports Franchise in the World?
Richard WeissKey Takeaways
- The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world: $13 billion on the Forbes World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025 list, published December 18, 2025.
- The Cowboys have been No. 1 on that Forbes list every year since 2016.
- Newer NFL-only valuations are higher: Sportico put the Cowboys at $15.5 billion on August 12, 2026, and Forbes put them at $17 billion on September 9, 2026.
- The Golden State Warriors are No. 2 overall at $11 billion, and 30 of the NFL's 32 teams are in the Forbes top 50.
- Jerry Jones has owned the Cowboys since February 25, 1989.
Table of Contents
The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Forbes valued the team at $13 billion on its World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025 list, published December 18, 2025, and the Cowboys have been No. 1 on that list every year since 2016. As of October 6, 2026, that is the most recent Forbes ranking that covers every sport.
The Most Valuable Sports Franchise in the World
The Dallas Cowboys, the NFL team that plays in Arlington, Texas, top the Forbes ranking at $13 billion. The Golden State Warriors are second at $11 billion, and the Los Angeles Rams are third at $10.5 billion.
Sportico also has the Cowboys on top. Its 2026 NFL team valuations, published August 12, 2026, put the Cowboys first at $15.5 billion. That is above Sportico's top NBA figure, the Warriors at $11.33 billion in its 2025 NBA valuations.
How Much Is the Most Valuable Sports Franchise Worth?
It depends on which valuation you use and when it was published. The three most recent figures for the Cowboys:
| Source and list | Published | Cowboys valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Forbes, World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025 | December 18, 2025 | $13 billion |
| Sportico, NFL Team Values 2026 | August 12, 2026 | $15.5 billion |
| Forbes, The NFL's Most Valuable Teams 2026 | September 9, 2026 | $17 billion |
Forbes and Sportico both rank the Cowboys first in the NFL, but their dollar figures differ. In its September 2026 NFL valuations, Forbes also reported that the Cowboys generated nearly $1.28 billion in revenue in the prior season, the largest total it has ever measured for a sports team.
Top 10 Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World
This is the top 10 from the Forbes World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025 list, published December 18, 2025. Two teams tied for 10th, so the table has 11 rows.
| Rank | Team | League | Valuation (Forbes, 2025 list) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | NFL | $13 billion |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | NBA | $11 billion |
| 3 | Los Angeles Rams | NFL | $10.5 billion |
| 4 | New York Giants | NFL | $10.1 billion |
| 5 | Los Angeles Lakers | NBA | $10 billion |
| 6 | New York Knicks | NBA | $9.75 billion |
| 7 | New England Patriots | NFL | $9 billion |
| 8 | San Francisco 49ers | NFL | $8.6 billion |
| 9 | Philadelphia Eagles | NFL | $8.3 billion |
| 10 (tie) | Chicago Bears | NFL | $8.2 billion |
| 10 (tie) | New York Yankees | MLB | $8.2 billion |
A few more facts from the same list:
- 30 of the NFL's 32 teams made the top 50. It took $5.4 billion to make the list.
- The Warriors, Lakers and Knicks are the three NBA teams in the top 10.
- The New York Yankees are the highest-ranked MLB team, tied for 10th at $8.2 billion.
- Real Madrid is the highest-ranked soccer club, 20th at $6.75 billion.
Who Owns the Most Valuable Sports Franchise?
Jerry Jones owns the Dallas Cowboys. He bought the team on February 25, 1989. The Cowboys have played home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas since it opened in 2009, and the franchise has won five Super Bowls, the most recent after the 1995 season.
Collect the Cowboys? Browse our football cards or see the top 10 most valuable football cards of all time.
Sources
- The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2025 (Forbes, December 18, 2025)
- The NFL's Most Valuable Teams 2026 (Forbes, September 9, 2026)
- Sportico valuations, incl. NFL Team Values 2026 (Sportico, August 12, 2026)
- Forbes list of the most valuable sports teams (Wikipedia)
- Dallas Cowboys (Wikipedia)
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