Most Profitable NFL Teams
NFL teams are among the most profitable franchises in all of sports. Given the league's massive TV deals and ratings, it's not shocking that owning an NFL team can be a highly-profitable endeavor. With that in mind we're going to take a look at the most profitable NFL franchises. The following list relies on available information about the operating income of each team. There are certainly a few surprises on the list.
1. Dallas Cowboys, $504 million
It's not surprising the Cowboys lead this list as they are the NFL's most valuable franchise by a considerable margin. In 2022, Dallas raked in $1.14 billion in revenue and had an operating income of $504 million. That's nearly $300 million more than second place.
2. New York Giants, $216 million
The Giants are the NFL's fourth most-valuable franchise and had a big year in 2022. This New York team raked in $639 million in revenue and had an operating income of $216 million.
3. New England Patriots, $206 million
The Patriots are currently worth $7 billion, which ranks second in the NFL. In 2022, they were fourth in revue ($684 million) and ranked third in operating income at $206 million.
4. Chicago Bears, $203 million
The Bears being high on this list shouldn't surprise anyone, given the size of their market in Chicago. They are the NFL's fifth-most valuable franchise at an estimated $6.3 billion and boasted a 2022 revenue of $556 million. Their operating income came in at $203 million.
5. Houston Texans, $195 million
This is a surprise given that the Texans are the NFL's 12th-most valuable franchise, worth an estimated $5.5 billion. But they raked in $605 million in revenue in 2022, which ranked seventh in the NFL. Their operating income ended up at $195 million.
6. Philadelphia Eagles, $187 million
The Eagles are currently the NFL's 10th-most valuable franchise with an estimated value of $5.8 billion. In 2022 they produced $598 million in revenue and had an operating income of $187 million.
7. Atlanta Falcons, $159 million
This is another surprise given that the Falcons rank 15th in NFL franchise value at an estimated $4.7 billion. In 2022 they brought in $544 million in revenue, but their operating income was sky high at $159 million.
8. San Francisco 49ers, $152 million
The 49ers have a large media market and legions of fans across the country. They're currently the ninth most valuable NFL franchise, with an estimated value of $6 billion. In 2022 they brought in $622 million in revenue, which ranked sixth in the NFL. Their operating income of $152 million is a massive number.
9. New York Jets, $126 million
Like their stadium partners the Giants, the Jets continue to be one of the NFL's most valuable franchises. They are worth an estimated $6.1 billion, which ranks seventh in the league. In 2022 they brought in $560 million in revenue and had an operating income of $126 million.
10. Los Angeles Rams, $125 million
The Rams have seen their value skyrocket since returning to Los Angeles, and they now rank as the NFL's third most valuable franchise, worth an estimated $6.9 billion. In 2022 they brought in $686 million in revenue, which ranked third in the league, and had an operating income of $125 million.