As the 2016 football season fast approaches, Forbes magazine released their annual list of the most profitable sports franchises on earth. With the 2016 NFL draft long over, all eyes are on the approaching start of training camp. All 32 teams are commencing preparation for this season, with one of the most well known NFL franchises topping the list of the most valuable sports teams on Earth.
Who rounds out the top five, and did your favorite team make the list?
Dallas Cowboys, NFL
The Dallas Cowboys have replaced Real Madrid as the richest sports team in the world. This despite suffering their worst regular season since 1989. Once starting quarterback Tony Romo suffered a season ending injury, the Cowboys failed to recover from his absence.
They haven’t let their poor performance on the field hurt them financially however. Jerry Jones owns the only sports franchise reaching a current valuation of £3.0 billion.
Real Madrid, Football
Although they didn’t bag first place Real Madrid and all their fans can take solace in topping the financial chart. No football team can touch them when it comes to having fiscal prowess.
They may have lost the La Liga title on the final day of the season, but Zinedine Zidame’s team managed to bounce back and defeat their intra-city rivals Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final.
Barcelona, Football
This team is currently valued at 2.7 billion pounds, meaning the Catalan side moved up one place to third in this year’s rankings.
In 2016, Barca fell one trophy short of their 2015 treble-winning accomplishment as they failed to capture Champions League glory. Led by Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona accomplished La Liga and Copa Dey championships.
New York Yankees, MLB
This iconic baseball side is the highest ranked of the three New York clubs that cracked the ten richest list. The Yankees may have fallen two places this year, but they are still a contender to be #1 come 2017, or just about any other year for that matter.
On the field, they are certainly aiming to progress further than the wild card play-off defeat of last season, because in the Bronx it’s World Series title or bust every year.
Manchester United, Football
One of the biggest football teams in the world, Manchester United still managed to stay in fifth place despite an uninspiring year. It has also turned out to be Louis Van Gaal’s last season in charge of the team. They did win their first FA Cup since 2004, but the poor form in league play has seen them miss out on Champions League for the second time in three seasons. With a new manager in Jose Mourinho, they could see an upturn in fortune.