Dallas Cowboys named most valuable sports team of 2016
By James Dudko
The Dallas Cowboys overtake Real Madrid as the most valuable team in sports, according to Forbes.
The Dallas Cowboys top the list of the most valuable sports teams of 2016, replacing Real Madrid and becoming the first NFL franchise to top the list since 2011.
The Cowboys are value at $4 billion, according to Forbes staffer Kurt Badenhausen. He noted how this is a massive increase for owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.
Badenhausen also detailed how NFL teams dominate sports’ rich list, with Dallas leading the sixth-ranked New England Patriots and bitter NFC East rivals the Washington Redskins, who came in at No. 8:
"NFL franchises make up 27 of the 50 most valuable sports teams in the world, including the Dallas Cowboys, who rank first with a value of $4 billion, up 25%. It is the first time a non-soccer club has reigned as the most valuable team since 2011 (the first year Forbes compiled a top 50 list). Manchester United held the crown in 2011 and 2012 and Real Madrid the last three years."
His report has also broke down exactly how Jones ensures huge profits remain an annual occurrence for the franchise once dubbed “America’s Team”:
"Rich broadcast deals help raise the value of all NFL teams, but owner Jerry Jones separates the Cowboys from the pack by controlling and maximizing the revenue streams from his $1.2 billion home, AT&T Stadium. The team’s premium seat revenue ($125 million) and sponsorship revenue ($120 million) are both tops in the NFL, despite the Cowboys’ failure to make it to the Super Bowl over the past two decades. The Cowboys are also the only team to opt out of the NFL’s licensed merchandise arrangement, which further swells Jones’ coffers."
Jones’ control over the business operations of the Cowboys has certainly proved fruitful. Yet, success on the gridiron has consistently eluded this team since its owner took a bigger role in football matters, a process that began during his acrimonious split with two-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Jimmy Johnson in 1994.
Although there have been a few bright moments since, the Cowboys remain underachievers on the field, despite their financial dominance off it.
While a star player such as quarterback Tony Romo rates as a marketable commodity, the Cowboys have struggled to hold together a strong and sustainable supporting cast around the man under center. Last season was a prime example. Jones, who also doubles as general manager, couldn’t keep 1,000-yard running back DeMarco Murray in town, and what had been a playoff team in 2014 slipped to 4-12.
It marked the fifth time in six years the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs. For a team with such resources, better cap management and shrewder roster building should be a given.
Romo’s Super Bowl window is closing fast, and it’s time the Cowboys delivered more than just success on the balance sheet.
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