The Cincinnati Bengals have been parked at No. 32 for seven straight years in Sportico’s annual NFL team valuations. The small-market club plays in an older stadium, ranks near the bottom on local revenue and lacks a national brand from its Super Bowl trophy-less history.
Yet there are only six sports franchises on the planet outside the NFL that are worth more than the Bengals. The list includes three from the NBA, two in MLB and LaLiga’s Real Madrid. The NFL’s least valuable team is worth $7.4 billion, by Sportico’s count, and all 32 teams land among the world’s 40 most valuable sports franchises.
The NFL flexed its financial might over the past 12 months with a record-breaking control sale price in Seattle and sky-high valuations of limited partnership stakes in Cleveland, Las Vegas and Miami.
The average team value rose 31% to $9.34 billion, based on conversations with more than 40 people involved in the league, including team owners, executives, investors, consultants and bankers. It marks the biggest year-over-year value gain for the NFL since Sportico’s valuations launched in 2020. The average value has increased 141% over the past five years.
The Dallas Cowboys lead the way for the seventh straight year at $15.5 billion, up 21% from 2025. The Los Angeles Rams ($12.7 billion), New York Giants ($12 billion), New England Patriots ($10.4 billion) and New York Jets ($10.35 billion) round out the top five.
