Top 15 Highest-Paid Sports Teams | Ultimate Guide

 The concept of “sports” encompasses a different sphere of human existence; it has been known to be riddled with emotions; in victories, you see the joys and tears of joy, and in defeats, you perceive the scent of sadness.

This human activity also comes with a ton of anxiousness and anxiety. By definition, the term sports often encompasses competition. 

According to the Dictionary: sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. For there to be a team in the sport, there would be two or more players on one side.

Considering that in recent times, this concept has given banks cause to smile home due to its lucrative nature,  we often wonder how much a particular team earns, or we make wild guesses in arguments as to their net worth and other allied facts.

In this article, we will be brought to you different teams from a number of sports, and while doing so, we will reveal some details about them. 

However, before we proceed, we would like to list some examples of team sports that you may or may not be familiar with.
We have the

  • Basketball
  • Ice hockey
  • Soccer Baseball
  • Football (gridiron) 
  • Rugby
  • Lacrosse, 
  • Futsal
  •  cricket
  • Volleyball and a whole lot of other sports, which we would not mention for constraints of time and space.

What makes the team valuable?

Proceeding further, we would bring to your notice things that make the team valuable. It is noteworthy to state that the value of a sports team is basically recurrent on its franchise which may be affected by certain factors.

By franchise, it means the contractual rights that are bestowed on a person or group in relation to the rights of the owner of a team for the purpose of managing the team financially and otherwise. Furthermore, there are certain factors that affect the boost of a sports franchise. These factors include 

  • Demand and supply.

Considering the fact that where there is more demand for a commodity, there is a resultant increase in price. In the world today, there are fewer teams as compared to persons or groups willing to buy them.

  • Level of performance

This also is another component to consider. By way of example, where a team trains well enough and keeps acing the scores, this would drive up its franchise due to its near-perfect performance; on the contrary, a team that performs badly sends its franchise bid down towards the mud.

  • According to FMS Franchise,  A never-ending focus on the end consumer is another way of boosting a team’s value – making sure that the customer interest in the product is increasing and maintained in order to keep the franchisee’s business increasing and strong demand for the product.
  • Branding: efficient branding and marketing of a team invariably raise a team’s franchise. Thus with proper branding and content, a team raises the bar on the price of its franchise.

15 Highest Paid Sports Teams In The World

Now heading to the meat of the discourse, 15 highest paid sports teams in the world.  Doing this would not constrict you to a particular sports team in a particular field of sport, thus, we would be highlighting only three teams from each category of sports until we reach the required quota.

1). Basketball
2). Ice hockey
3). Soccer
4). Baseball
5). Football (gridiron)

Basketball

A brief introduction to the game of basketball: basketball is a game played between two teams consisting of five players on each team on a rectangular court, which may be outdoors or indoors.

Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop, and a net called a basket. Now to the three highest-paid sports teams, basketball teams according to the NBA league.

#1. New York Knicks

The Knicks is an abbreviation of their full name. The knickerbockers is one of the founding members of the NBA, which came about as the result of the merger of the BAA and NBL.
It’s important to note how the value of the Knicks has risen financially. A breakdown of their value, revenue, and operating income is rendered below:

2017

  • Value: USD$3.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$376 million
  • Operating income: USD$141.2 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$426 million
  • Operating income: USD$140 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$443 million
  • Operating income: USD$115 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$4.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$472 million
  • Operating income: USD$157 million 

While as of 2021, they are currently valued at USD$5 billion, generating a revenue of USD$421 and an operating income of USD$178 million. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden Sports. They purchased it in 1997 at the price of USD 300 million.
To visit their website, click this link:
https://www.nba.com/knicks/

#2. Golden state warriors

Golden state warriors are among the highest-paid sports teams globally. Originally it was founded in Philadelphia in 1946; they are presently based in San Francisco. The team plays their home games in their famous chase center, which they own too. They experienced a certain percentage of boost in their value in the last five years. The breakdown is relayed below.

2017

  • Value: USD$2.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$305 million
  • Operating income: USD$742 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.1 billion
  • Revenue: USD$359 million
  • Operating income: USD$120 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$ 3.5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$401 million
  • Operating income: USD$103 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$4.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$440 million
  • Operating income: USD$109 million 

This team is owned by Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber. 
The Golden State Warriors are currently valued at USD$4.7 billion, yielding a revenue of USD$470 million with an operating income of USD$200 million.
Website: https://www.nba.com/warriors/

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#3. Los Angeles Lakers  

The Los Angeles Lakers are the team that has won most of the NBA championships with 17 victories. Valued as of 2021 at USD$4.6 billion, with an operating income of over USD$155 million and revenue of USD$400 million, the Lakers sit comfortably in the third position. 

This team is owned jointly by Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz, Edward P. Roski, and Patrick Soon-Shiong. Their rival is the Boston Celtics. A breakdown of their valuation from the last five years is displayed below. 

2017

  • Value: USD$3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$333 million
  • Operating income: USD$119.2 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$371 million
  • Operating income: USD$136 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$ 3.7 billion
  • Revenue: USD$395 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 147 million 

2020

ICE HOCKEY

A brief introduction of ice hockey: This is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in an indoor or outdoor arena called a rink, where two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a pneumatized rubber puck into the opponent’s net to score goals. 

The 3 highest paid sports teams in ice hockey. We would be going with the NHL. They are 

  • New York Rangers
  • Toronto Maple leafs 
  • Montréal Canadiens

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#4. New York Rangers

New York Rangers is one of the highest-paid sports teams in the world. This professional hockey playing team is based in New York City; the team is one of the NHL players located in the city. It plays its home game in the Madison Square garden.

The team is also owned by Madison Square Garden sports, which purchased the team in 1997 at the whooping sum of USD$ 195 million.

Below is a breakdown of their value from the last five years.

2016

  • Value: USD$1.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$219 million
  • Operating income: USD$745 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$1.5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$246 million
  • Operating income: USD$94 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$ 1.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$253 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 107 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$1.7 billion
  • Revenue: USD$270 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 123million 

2020

  • Value: USD$1.7 billion
  • Revenue: USD$225 million
  • Operating income: USD$87 million 
  •  Official website: http://nhl.com/rangers/

#5. Toronto Maple leafs

Toronto Maple leafs highest paid sports team. This team is a professional hockey-playing team that competes in the NHL (National Hockey League. And it is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd, Larry Tanenbaum.

It was purchased in 2012 at USD$1 billion. Presently they play their home games at the Scotiabank Arena. A breakdown of their value from five years ago is listed below.

2016

  • Value: USD$1.1 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$186 million
  • Operating income: USD$68 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$1.4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$211 million
  • Operating income: USD$76 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$ 1.5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$232 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 94 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$1.5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$243 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 101 million 

2020

#6. Montréal Canadiens

This team is owned by the Molson family, they purchased the team’s franchise in 2009 to the tune of USD$575 million. They play their home game in the Bell Center Arena

2016

  • Value: USD$1.1 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$202 million
  • Operating income: USD$76.9million 

2017

  • Value: USD$1.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$236 million
  • Operating income: USD$92 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$ 1.3billion
  • Revenue: USD$239 million
  • Operating income: USD$ 102 million 

2019

Value: USD$1.3 billion
Revenue: USD$243 million
Operating income: USD$ 106 million 

2020

SOCCER/FOOTBALL

Brief information on football: Soccer basically means a game where two opposing teams of eleven players try to kick the ball into the other team’s goal net.

The top 3 highest paid teams in the world. 

  • Barcelona FC
  • Real Madrid FC
  • Bayern Munich FC

#7. Barcelona FC

Barcelona FC, as it is called, is one of the three founding members of the Primera Division, not gare have ever been relegated from the top. The other members are Atletico Bilbao and Real Madrid. It plays its home game at Camp Nou. 

Regarding the ownership of the club, there is no one individual who claims ownership, and they don’t sell shares, rather they sell membership forming an association called Socis due to a breakdown of their valuation from the past five years till date written below.

Also, due to the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the year 2020, there are no conclusive records on value. Thus it is skipped.

2016

  • Value: USD$3.5 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$675 million
  • Operating income: USD$108  million 

2017

  • Value: USD$3.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$688 million
  • Operating income: USD$102.1 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$ 4.1 billion
  • Revenue: USD$706 million
  • Operating income: USD$111 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$824 million
  • Operating income: USD$ -37 million 

2021

REAL MADRID 

This club is a Spanish football club based in Madrid. Its full name is Real Madrid club de It’s ownership operates In a similar manner as that of Barcelona FC.

Its stadium is the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The team is also a great rival to Barcelona, which often results in the El classic whenever they get to play against each other.
On the breakdown of its value from five years ago till death:

2016

  • Value: USD$3.6 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$694million
  • Operating income: USD$162 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$3.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$688 million
  • Operating income: USD$181 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$ 4.1 billion
  • Revenue: USD$735 million
  • Operating income: USD$94 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$4.2 billion
  • Revenue: USD$896 million
  • Operating income: USD$112 million 

2021

#8. Bayern Munich

This is a German professional sports club that is based in Munich, Bavaria. The club plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. The club is also the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 31 national titles. 

2016

  • Value: USD$2.7 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$570million
  • Operating income: USD$60 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$2.7 billion
  • Revenue: USD$657 million
  • Operating income: USD$120 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.1 billion
  • Revenue: USD$640 million
  • Operating income: USD$105 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$751 million
  • Operating income: USD$129 million 

2021

  • Value: USD$4.2 billion
  • Revenue: USD$703 million
  • Operating income: USD$49 million 

On the club’s ownership, it is Majorly run by the company FC Bayern München AG due to its 75% stake. The other remaining percentage is owned by some other person.

But generally, the day-to-day administration of the club is run by the club members in a much more similar manner as that of Real Madrid. Professional football at the Bavarian club is majorly run by spin-off company FC Bayern.

Official website: https://fcbayern.com/en/

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#9. Baseball

Brief information on baseball: according to Wikipedia, Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two opposing teams who take turns batting and fielding.

The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat. For more on the meaning of baseball, the link is in the reference.

In this category, the three top teams are

  • New York Yankees
  • Los Angeles Dodgers 
  • Boston Red Sox

#10. New York Yankees

The team is based in the New York borough of Bronx and also plays in Major league baseball.
On the breakdown of Its value from five years ago: 

2017

  • Value: USD$3.7 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$526 million
  • Operating income: USD$39million 

2018

  • Value: USD$4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$619 million
  • Operating income: USD$14 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$ 4.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$668 million
  • Operating income: USD$29 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$683 million
  • Operating income: USD$35 million 

2021

  • Value: USD$5.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$108 million
  • Operating income: USD$-190 million 

The team is owned by the Yankee Global Enterprise, which is championed by the Steinbrenner Family, which they purchased in 1973 at the sum of USD$8.8 million
Official Website: https://www.mlb.com/yankees/

#11. Los Angeles Dodgers

The club was purchased in 2012 by the Guggenheim baseball management to the tune of USD$ 2 billion.

2017

  • Value: USD$2.8  Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$462 million
  • Operating income: USD$-21 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3  billion
  • Revenue: USD$522 million
  • Operating income: USD$68  million 

2019

  • Value: USD$3.3  billion
  • Revenue: USD$549  million
  • Operating income: USD$95 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$3.4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$556  million
  • Operating income: USD$96 million 

2021

  • Value: USD$3.6 billion
  • Revenue: USD$185 million
  • Operating income: USD$-116 million 

Their home stadium is called the Dodger stadium, and it has a 56,000 seating capacity.
Official Website: https://www.mlb.com/dodgers/

#12. Boston Red Sox

This baseball team was founded in 1901 and is based in Boston. The club is owned by Fenway sports group, which also owns the football club Liverpool FC.

The franchise was purchased in 2002 at USD$380 million. Its media partners are NESN for the television segment and WEEI for the Radio segment. Its value assessment from five years ago:

2017

  • Value: USD$2.7 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$434 million
  • Operating income: USD$79 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$2.8  billion
  • Revenue: USD$453 million
  • Operating income: USD$86 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$3.2  billion
  • Revenue: USD$516  million
  • Operating income: USD$84 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$3.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$519 million
  • Operating income: USD$89 million 

2021

  • Value: USD$3.5  billion
  • Revenue: USD$152 million
  • Operating income: USD$-70 million 

Official Website: https://www.mlb.com/redsox/

#13. Football (GRIDIRON)

This is a form of team game played with an oval ball on a field marked out as a gridiron. Points are scored mainly through touchdowns and field goals. Each side consists of eleven players on the field at a given time.

The top 3 most valued teams in this category are the:

  • Dallas Cowboys
  • New England Patriots
  • New York Giants

#14. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division.

The team has its headquarters in Frisco, Texas, and plays its home games at the  AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; it is owned by Jerry Jones, who he purchased in 1989 to the tune of USD$150 million. The team has as its Media partners CBS TV and the Fan Radio station.
Five years value assessment.

2016

  • Value: USD$4.2  Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$700 million
  • Operating income: USD$300 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$4.8  billion
  • Revenue: USD$840 million
  • Operating income: USD$350 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$864  million
  • Operating income: USD$365 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$5.5 billion
  • Revenue: USD$950 million
  • Operating income: USD$420 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$5.7  billion
  • Revenue: USD$980 million
  • Operating income: USD$425 million 

Their major sponsors include AT&T, Bank of America, and Ford, among others sponsors.

Official website: https://www.dallascowboys.com/

#15. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots is an American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing in the NFL. The club is owned by Robert Kraft, purchased in 1994 for USD$172 Million. Its five years value assessment is rendered below:

2016

  • Value: USD$3.4 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$523 million
  • Operating income: USD$212 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$3.7 billion
  • Revenue: USD$575 million
  • Operating income: USD$247 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.8 billion
  • Revenue: USD$593 million
  • Operating income: USD$235 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$4.1 billion
  • Revenue: USD$600 million
  • Operating income: USD$240 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$4.4 billion
  • Revenue: USD$630 million
  • Operating income: USD$250 million 

Its Media partners include WBZ TV and 98.5 sports Hub.
The team plays its home game at the Gillette stadium, which has a 66,000 capacity. Major sponsors include PepsiCo, Dell Technologies, and Gillette.

Official Website: https://www.patriots.com/

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#16. New York Giants

This football team is based in the New York metropolitan area. Also, one of the top teams in play at the moment too. They ranked third most valued football team in the NFL. 

It is owned by John Mara and Steve Tisch, which was purchased first in 1991 and then in 1925 at USD$ 150 million and USD$500 million, respectively. Their media partners are 4 New York, MSG for television, and W FAN and WADO as Radio partners.

Below is their five years value assessment.

2016

  • Value: USD$3.1 Billion 
  • Revenue: USD$444 million
  • Operating income: USD$133 million 

2017

  • Value: USD$3.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$477 million
  • Operating income: USD$133 million 

2018

  • Value: USD$3.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$493 million
  • Operating income: USD$149 million 

2019

  • Value: USD$3.9 billion
  • Revenue: USD$519 million
  • Operating income: USD$142 million 

2020

  • Value: USD$4.3 billion
  • Revenue: USD$547 million
  • Operating income: USD$168 million 

Their home games are played on their MetLife Stadium, with an 82,500-seat capacity.

Official Website: https://www.giants.com/

Their major sponsors include MetLife, Toyota, and Verizon, among other major sponsors. The team is also connected with New York Yankees and the New York Knicks.

CONCLUSION

The article on the highest paid sports teams has brought the values, both present and past, of the top 3 teams in different categories ranging from soccer, football, baseball, and other team contact sports. 

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