Oakland Raiders ranked 34th most valuable sports franchise
Forbes released an update on the world’s top 50 most valuable sports teams in 2019, and the Raiders have made the cut.
The Oakland Raiders find themselves ranked the 34th most valuable sports franchise on Forbes updated release. Their value is set at $2.42 billion dollars and a 2% change from one year ago. Their operating income (profit) was $25 million, which is dramatically low compared to other franchise’s that are ranked around the same value.
To put in perspective the kind of growth the Raiders have made, in 2013 they ranked 50th with their value set at $785 million. The Raiders have never been the richest franchise by any means, however, they’ve also been able to hold their own and find ways to be productive.
With the team’s relocation to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2020 it’s anticipated that the Raiders value will definitely grow, once they step foot onto their projected $1.9 billion dollar stadium. The Bay Area is a competent market, but moving to a market such as Las Vegas, where the local Vegas residents have been starving for an NFL team for years, it’ll only help skyrocket their revenue and move up Forbes rankings.
With Las Vegas being a tax-free state, that’s another expense that will go out the window for owner Mark Davis once the team moves. When the Raiders were in negotiations during the free-agency period, agents of the players looked to defer a good chunk of the guaranteed money to 2020 and beyond so they wouldn’t get hit with state-tax.
The NFL leads the pack over other sports in the top 50 list, with 26 NFL teams inside the top-50. The NFL’s media contracts with CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket all assisted each team with $260 million dollars last season. Also, NFL teams capitalize on ticket sales, apparel sales, concession sales, and sponsorships which bring in a large haul of cash for their growth.
There are 17 teams that find themselves slotted ahead of the Raiders, although after they get a few years of Las Vegas under their belt, it’s only a matter of time before they crack the top-10.