Forbes’ latest ranking of the world’s 50 most valuable sports teams makes one thing plain: American sports are winning the global marketplace. The combined valuation of the top 50 franchises now sits at roughly $353 billion, and at the apex sits the Dallas Cowboys, valued at an eye-popping $13 billion—proof that business savvy and brand-building beat nostalgia every time.
If anyone still doubts the power of the American sports model, consider that 30 of the NFL’s 32 teams made the top 50 this year, underscoring how our professional leagues have become economic engines. That dominance didn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of competitive markets, visionary owners, and fans who vote with their wallets.
A big reason valuations are surging is the explosion in media rights and commercial deals, which has poured billions into team coffers and inflated franchise values across the board. The NBA’s recent long-term broadcast agreements alone reshaped the revenue landscape, demonstrating that when private companies strike deals that consumers want, everyone benefits.
At the center of it all is the Cowboys’ proprietor, whose relentless branding and revenue focus helped push the franchise’s revenue past $1.2 billion last season—an object lesson in free-enterprise leadership. Jerry Jones turned a football team into a year-round entertainment brand and countrywide institution, and Americans should admire the results rather than apologize for them.
It’s worth noting that the left’s cultural narratives haven’t translated into comparable financial dominance elsewhere; women’s professional teams still lag, with the WNBA’s New York Liberty the highest-valued women’s club this year at roughly $400 million. That reality should humble the activists who prioritize messaging over market-building, because markets reward product, not virtue signaling.
The list also shows fresh faces joining the billion-dollar club—the Golden State Warriors at $11 billion and teams like the Rams, Giants, and Lakers breaking the $10 billion threshold—yet the NFL remains the locomotive powering the entire enterprise. This is a patriotic success story: American entrepreneurship, investment, and fandom creating world-class assets that attract global capital.
Hardworking Americans who love their teams should see this as a validation of capitalism and common sense: let owners compete, let markets reward excellence, and keep politicians out of the business of picking winners and losers. If we protect the freedoms that made these valuations possible, our teams—and the communities around them—will continue to thrive.
