Cowboys Rule: America’s Team Tops Forbes List of World’s Richest Sports Franchises

After an exciting last minute come from behind victory over the Giants on Sunday, Tony Romo and the Cowboys enjoyed a sweet post game euphoria basking in their undefeated season (1-0!).

Yet, the thrill of victory for the last twenty years remains elusive for the Dallas franchise. The last time the Cowboys played in a Super Bowl was 1996 when they defeated the Steelers 27–17, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

But if your heart starts to pull for Jerry Jones and his gladiators, the Cowboys latest Forbes evaluations should help you roll back some of your tears. For the ninth time in the last 18 years the prestigious financial magazine ranks the Cowboys at the top spot for NFL teams, worth a stunning $4 billion this year. 

Forbes reported that in 2014, the Cowboys earned revenue of $620 million, a record for a U.S. sports team. On top of that, the franchise ranked first in the NFL in average attendance with 90,000, first in premium seating revenue with a $120 million, and first in stadium revenue generated from non-NFL events with $30 million.

The runner-up New England Patriots trailed America’s team by $800 million with a not too shabby $3.2 billion evaluation. The Washington Redskins ($2.85 billion), New York Giants ($2.8 billion), and San Francisco 49ers ($2.7 billion) round out the NFL’s top five, reported Forbes. The average NFL team is worth $1.97 billion, which represents a 38% increase from 2013.

The storied franchise doesn’t just enjoy NFL bragging rights. Their abundant riches put them at #1 in the world of all sports franchises. Real Madrid ($3.26 billion), the Patriots ($3.2 billion), New York Yankees ($3.2 billion) and Barcelona ($3.16 billion) follow behind.

Although having a big city market like New York, Boston, and Dallas helps in revenue pull, smaller cities such as Indianapolis fared quite well by casting a superior product on the field. The Colts, who have made the playoffs 16 times over the past 20 years, took in a whopping $90 million in operating income last season ranking eighth-most in the league.

Significantly, the San Francisco, 49ers by jettisoning the dilapidated Candlestick Park for the new $1.2 billion Levi’s Stadium, enjoyed the  biggest one-year increase in value (69%) of any NFL team. According to Forbes the team’s revenue from ticket sales, sponsors, concessions, luxury suites, and non-football events spiked 160% from 2013.