The most valuable sports teams of 2025, ranked
With millions to be made from merchandising and ticket sales, owning a top sports team is a bit like having a license to print money
By Cayle Reid
IN MARCH OF 2025, the Boston Celtics sold for a record-breaking $9.3 billion AUD, the highest figure a sports team has ever been bought for. High as that price tag may have been, it did make some sense. The Celtics have won more NBA championships than any other team in history and, at the time of the sale, were less than one year removed from winning their 18th championship. Then, less than three months later, the Los Angeles Lakers sold for $15.3 billion, making the Celtics’ fee look paltry by comparison.
The truth is, sports teams are more valuable than you might think. Given the name-recognition of the world’s biggest teams, owning one and capitalising on merchandise and ticket sales is essentially like having a license to print money. Case in point, while the Celtics were briefly the most expensive team ever, they’re not even among the top ten of the world’s most valuable teams.
The world’s most valuable sports teams aren’t all the best at their individual sports – in fact, some of them haven’t won a championship for decades – but they’re all easily recognised brands whose reach extends far beyond the playing field.
So, which team is the most valuable of the bunch? The top contenders are diverse, with teams from four sports and two continents making the top ten. But even in such a loaded field, there remains one team that stands above the rest. Find out which one below.
All figures are estimates only and have been gathered from Forbes’ annual assessment of the world’s most valuable teams and reported fees from recent sales. All figures are in AUD.
What are the most valuable sports teams of 2025?
10. Manchester United
Valuation: $10 billion
One of the world’s most popular football teams, Manchester United reportedly brings in more than $1.2 billion in revenue every single year. Much of those profits come from commercial partnerships – it costs quite a lot of cash for a sponsorship place on the front of a Man U jersey – while broadcasting and matchday revenue are also astronomical for the English club.
9. Real Madrid
Everyone from Ronaldo and Beckham to Mbappe and Zidane have played for Spanish outfit Real Madrid. Those big-name acquisitions are part of what makes the team the most valuable football club in the world. Madrid brings in more commercial revenue than any other football club, and the team owns its stadium, which adds to its value. Perhaps most noteworthy of all is that the team is owned by its own members – essentially fans – rather than some shady oil tycoon, oligarch or real estate mogul.
8. New York Giants
Valuation: $11.16 billion
Proof that a team doesn’t need to be good to be valuable, the New York Giants may have won two Super Bowls in the 21st century, but have been one of the worst teams in the NFL for almost two decades. Since their most recent super bowl triumph in 2011, the Giants have only made the playoffs twice, recording a lone playoff win in 2022. Regardless, the team’s access to the huge New York City market and recognisable logo means it reels in a good chunk of revenue.
Another interesting tidbit: the Giants were founded in 1925 by Tim Mara, who invested just $500 to launch the team. His descendants are still the majority owners, and we’d bet they’re grateful for their grandad’s decision.
7. New England Patriots
Valuation: $11.32 billion
The New England Patriots were on the lower end of the NFL value spectrum before drafting quarterback Tom Brady in 2000. Since then, Brady has led the team to six Super Bowls – the joint most of all time – on his way to becoming the GOAT of American football. All that winning has helped the Patriots become one of the more recognisable and popular teams in global sports.
6. New York Knicks
Valuation: $11.47 billion
The New York Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship in more than 50 years, with their last title coming way back in 1973. And the team’s recent history has been a spectacle of mediocrity. But as we’ve already learned, winning isn’t the biggest determinant of value, and the Knicks home in NYC comes with some weight. In fact, almost 50 per cent of the Knicks’ valuation comes from their coveted market.
5. New York Yankees
Valuation: $11.55 billion
Baseball isn’t quite a globally marketed sport like basketball, American football or soccer, so it’s more difficult for a team to be valued highly. That said, the Yankees do well in just about every category that determines value. They’re the winningest MLB franchise of all time, with 27 world series titles, have access to the New York market and have one of the most recognisable logos in sports – we’re sure Yankee caps alone bring in millions in annual revenue.
4. Los Angeles Rams
Valuation: $11.62 billion
The Rams’ value has skyrocketed since relocating from the quiet midwestern city of St. Louis to the sunny shores of Los Angeles, California. It’s crazy to think that Los Angeles, the second biggest city in the United States, didn’t have a professional American football team until 2017. The Rams have plugged that gap, winning their first super bowl in 2020 and catapulting their value into the stratosphere.
3. Golden State Warriors
Valuation: $13.46 billion
As the most prolific NBA dynasty of the last decade, with four titles in that timespan, the Golden State Warriors have been steadily climbing this list. Playing in the big market of San Francisco boosts the team’s value, as does the talent of a highly marketable player like sharpshooting point guard Stephen Curry. The Warriors’ having a bunch of silicon valley investors backing them also improves their standing.
2. Los Angeles Lakers
Valuation: $15.3 billion
The Lakers may have sold for more than any other team in history, but this list is about hypotheticals. We’re assessing how much a team would sell for, if they were to be sold. And under that methodology, there is still one team that trumps the Lakers. The team’s brand is among the healthiest in the world, however. With the second-most NBA titles in history, LeBron James and Luka Doncic on the roster, as well as a place in a huge market, expect the Lakers to keep rising up this list.
1. Dallas Cowboys
Valuation: $15.45 billion
The Dallas Cowboys topping this list might come as a surprise, but it makes more sense once broken down. Under the guidance of owner Jerry Jones, ‘America’s team’ has become the most valuable sports team globally due to their large market in Dallas-Fort Worth, huge fanbase, strong brand recognition, and unchallenged revenue generation. Their in-house management of sponsorships, merchandising and luxury suites at AT&T Stadium – which is among the best in the world – are part of what elevates the Cowboys above the rest.
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