Every year, Sportico releases its team valuations for NFL franchises. It reminds us that football is a business, and the exorbitant values of the teams prove it.
The Cowboys remain the most valuable sports franchise among the Big Four sports in the United States. Owner Jerry Jones has transformed the team into a multi-billion-dollar entity over the past four decades since he purchased it. The NFL remains the top sport for investors, as the lowest team value is the Bengals at $5.5 billion, which is still at least $1.5 billion more than the lowest teams in MLB, the NHL and the NBA.
Here is more information on the value of every NFL franchise.
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Most valuable NFL franchises
Here are the most valuable franchise as of the 2025 NFL season, per Sportico.
| Rank | Team | Owner | Value |
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys | Jerry Jones | $12.8 billion |
| 2 | Los Angeles Rams | Stan Kroenke | $10.43 billion |
| 3 | New York Giants | John Mara | $10.25 billion |
| 4 | New England Patriots | Robert Kraft | $8.76 billion |
| 5 | San Francisco 49ers | Jed York | $8.6 billion |
| 6 | Philadelphia Eagles | Jeffrey Lurie | $8.43 billion |
| 7 | Miami Dolphins | Stephen Ross | $8.25 billion |
| 8 | New York Jets | Woody Johnson | $8.11 billion |
| 9 | Las Vegas Raiders | Mark Davis | $7.9 billion |
| 10 | Washington Commanders | Josh Harris | $7.47 billion |
| 11 | Chicago Bears | George McCaskey | $7.45 billion |
| 12 | Houston Texans | Cal McNair | $7.17 billion |
| 13 | Atlanta Falcons | Arthur Blank | $7.05 billion |
| 14 | Seattle Seahawks | Jody Allen | $6.59 billion |
| 15 | Denver Broncos | Rob Walton | $6.55 billion |
| 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | Clark Hunt | $6.53 billion |
| 17 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Art Rooney II | $6.51 billion |
| 18 | Green Bay Packers | Green Bay Packers Inc. | $6.48 billion |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Bryan Glazer | $6.47 billion |
| 20 | Minnesota Vikings | Zygi Wilf | $6.28 billion |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers | Dean Spanos | $6.21 billion |
| 22 | Tennessee Titans | Amy Adams Strunk | $6.20 billion |
| 23 | Cleveland Browns | Jimmy Haslam | $6.14 billion |
| 24 | Baltimore Ravens | Steve Bisciotti | $6.0 billion |
| 25 | Detroit Lions | Sheila Ford Hamp | $5.88 billion |
| 26 | Buffalo Bills | Terry Pegula | $5.87 billion |
| 27 | Carolina Panthers | David Tepper | $5.76 billion |
| 28 | Indianapolis Colts | Carlie Irsay-Gordon | $5.72 billion |
| 29 | Arizona Cardinals | Michael Bidwell | $5.66 billion |
| 30 | New Orleans Saints | Gayle Benson | $5.63 billion |
| 31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Shahid Khan | $5.57 billion |
| 32 | Cincinnati Bengals | Mike Brown | $5.5 billion |
* NFL franchise values will be updated before the start of every season.
1. Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones has developed the Cowboys into a football team, a show and a theme park all wrapped into one. We learned in 2024 that some players didn’t like that public tours included stopping by the weight room and watching the team workout. The Cowboys also have a Netflix show about their cheerleading squad, as well as another docuseries about Jerry Jones and the franchise.
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2. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams coming in at No. 2 on this list may surprise people. Much of their value stems from the fact that they are located in Los Angeles and generate revenue from the relatively new SoFi Stadium. The franchise has actually been in the top five for most valuable NFL franchises since 2020.
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3. New York Giants
The Giants have the benefit of being one of three New York teams but split the use of MetLife Stadium with the Jets. Their counterpart comes in as the eighth most valuable franchise, with the Giants edging them out at No. 3. The Giants ranked fourth by Sportico from 2020 to 2022, but then jumped as high as No. 2 in 2023. The G-Men have been ranked third for two consecutive years.
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4. New England Patriots
It helps your value when you have a dynasty for nearly two decades. New England has the benefit of being in a good sports market in Boston and remains one of the most valuable franchises in the league, despite still trying to find its footing in the post-Tom Brady era.
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5. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have been cemented as the fifth-most valuable franchise in the NFL since 2021. That was the year they went from sixth to fifth and overtook the Jets. The Chargers are the lone team based in California that isn’t in the top five, and they come in at No. 21. The Rams and 49ers have more team-related businesses and team real estate which help provide the boost.
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How NFL franchise values are calculated
Sportico developed its own methodology for determining franchise values. Overall, the site defines valuation as “the sum of the enterprise value of an NFL franchise combined with the value of team-related businesses and real estate holdings.”
The website goes in much more detail when defining its team value metric.
“NFL franchise valuation, derived from metrics by which football-team transactions occur, including aggregating local and national revenues and factoring in a team-specific multiplier. This represents the market value of the team itself, excluding related businesses held by its owners. It includes the value of each franchise’s 3.13% interest in the league’s properties, including NFL Films, NFL RedZone, 32 Equity (the private equity investment vehicle established by the NFL in 2013) and its digital platforms, which are acquired/dispossessed in tandem with the sale of a team.”
Sportico also laid out definitions and stipulations for what they term “team-related businesses and real estate holdings.”
“The value of a franchise owner’s equity in team-related businesses that are distinct corporate entities, as well as government-assessed real estate related to venue, practice facilities and adjacent developments. Examples include Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ 20% interest in Legends Hospitality, a stadium operations corporation; the Washington Commanders’ subsidiaries, which own nearly 400 acres split between 12 parcels near the team’s stadium and practice facility; and the F1 Miami Grand Prix, which Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has a 15-year contract to operate around Hard Rock Stadium.
This category excludes value derived from enterprises determined as too attenuated from the football team’s operations, which fall into three categories:
(1) Rent from non-football, outside-of-stadium retail operations, like the Green Bay Packers’ Titletown venture or New England Patriots’ Patriot Place.
(2) Licensing fees paid by non-football third parties to a team’s sister company for the use of intellectual property.
(3) Team owner’s investment in businesses unrelated to franchise operations. Examples include the Cowboys’ sister company Blue Star Land’s joint ventures with real estate partners.
For franchises that do not own their venues, the value of a team’s lease—often with advantageous terms negotiated with municipal or state authorities—is captured in the Team Value category.”
This results in the formula that helps to calculate the overall team value for each franchise.
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Evolution of NFL franchise values
Even on a year-to-year basis, it is easy to see how much franchise values have evolved. Here is how much each team’s 2025 valuation changed from 2024, ranked by overall valuation in 2025.
| Team | 1-Year Value Change |
| Cowboys | 24% |
| Rams | 34% |
| Giants | 34% |
| Patriots | 20% |
| 49ers | 25% |
| Eagles | 25% |
| Dolphins | 22% |
| Jets | 19% |
| Raiders | 18% |
| Commanders | 19% |
| Bears | 19% |
| Texans | 19% |
| Falcons | 19% |
| Seahawks | 18% |
| Broncos | 19% |
| Chiefs | 20% |
| Steelers | 17% |
| Packers | 20% |
| Buccaneers | 18% |
| Vikings | 18% |
| Chargers | 19% |
| Titans | 17% |
| Browns | 19% |
| Ravens | 17% |
| Lions | 19% |
| Bills | 16% |
| Panthers | 12% |
| Colts | 15% |
| Cardinals | 17% |
| Saints | 18% |
| Jaguars | 17% |
| Bengals | 17% |
Over longer periods of times the difference in price is eye-opening. For example, Josh Harris purchased the Commanders in 2023 for $6.05 billion and just two years later, the franchise has increased $1.42 billion in value. On a grander scale, Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989, and the franchise is now the most valuable in the NFL at $12.8 billion. Put a different way, ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. pointed out that every single dollar that Jones used to buy the Cowboys is now worth $84.33.
Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for $150 million on Feb. 25, 1989.
In 36 years, Jerry’s investment has increased a whopping 8,433%.
Put another way, every dollar Jerry invested is now worth $84.33. https://t.co/VWW6D1PX4L
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) August 13, 2025
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How NFL team values compare to other sports
Here is a look at how the NFL team values compare to other sports.
| League | Teams | Range of Values | Highest Team | Lowest Team |
| NFL* | 32 | $5.5 billion to $12.8 billion | $12.8 billion (Cowboys) | $5.5 billion (Bengals) |
| NBA** | 30 | $3.0 billion to $8.8 billion | $8.8 billion (Warriors) | $3.0 billion (Grizzlies) |
| MLB** | 30 | $1.05 billion to $8.2 billion | $8.2 billion (Yankees) | $1.05 billion (Marlins) |
| NHL*** | 32 | $1 billion to $4 billion | $4 billion (Maple Leafs) | $1 billion (Blue Jackets) |
*Data provided by Sportico
** Data provided by Forbes
***Data provided by CNBC Sports
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Top 5 NFL Franchise Values
| Rank | Team | Value |
| 1 | Cowboys | $12.8 billion |
| 2 | Rams | $10.43 billion |
| 3 | Giants | $10.25 billion |
| 4 | Patriots | $8.76 billion |
| 5 | 49ers | $8.6 billion |
Top 5 NBA Franchise Values
| Rank | Team | Value |
| 1 | Warriors | $8.8 billion |
| 2 | Knicks | $7.5 billion |
| 3 | Lakers | $7.1 billion |
| 4 | Celtics | $6 billion |
| 5 | Clippers | $5.5 billion |
Top 5 MLB Franchise Values
| Rank | Team | Value |
| 1 | Yankees | $8.2 billion |
| 2 | Dodgers | $6.8 billion |
| 3 | Red Sox | $4.8 billion |
| 4 | Cubs | $4.6 billion |
| 5 | Giants | $4 billion |
Top 5 NHL Franchise Values
| Rank | Team | Value |
| 1 | Maple Leafs | $4 billion |
| 2 | Rangers | $3.5 billion |
| 3 | Canadiens | $3.1 billion |
| 4 | Kings | $2.85 billion |
| 5 | Bruins | $2.75 billion |
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