The New York Yankees baseball team is worth $7.1 billion, according to Forbes’s annual analysis, making it the most valuable MLB franchise. The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable sports team in the world, worth an estimated $8 billion. The Yankees won 27 World Series titles, which is a lot. Their continued success on the field and the fact that they are one of the most well-known sports brands in the world have helped raise their value to new heights.
The Yankees have been the best team in baseball for a long time. The latest evaluation shows an increase of 18% from the previous year. The Bronx Bombers are broadcast on the YES Network, the most successful and widely-watched regional sports network in the country, which brought in $143 million in cable revenue for the network in 2022.
In 2022, the average number of households watching Yankee games on YES was 231,000, generating an operating income of about $400 million (before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). (Full disclosure: I co-host the YES-broadcasting Forbes SportsMoney show.) Since the list’s inception in December 1998, the Yankees have consistently topped MLB’s annual valuation rankings.
Forbes magazine put out a report that says the average value of a Major League Baseball team has gone up by 12% in the past year, reaching a record high of $2.32 billion. This is a big jump from 2015, when the average value was $1.4 billion, and shows that the league is still growing and doing well.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are worth $4.8 billion, which puts them in second place on the list. Like the Yankees, the Dodgers have a long and interesting history. They have won seven World Series and have fans all over the world. In recent years, their value has gone up thanks to their recent success on the field, which includes winning the World Series in 2020.
The Boston Red Sox are worth $4.5 billion, which puts them at number three on the list. The Red Sox is another famous team that has won 9 World Series titles over its long history. With their loyal fans, success on the field, and reputation as a top sports brand, they have become one of the most valuable MLB teams.
The Chicago Cubs, the San Francisco Giants, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Angels, the Atlanta Braves, the Philadelphia Phillies, and the St. Louis Cardinals are also in the top 10. All of these teams’ values have gone up a lot in the past few years, thanks in part to more money coming in from broadcasting deals, merchandise, and sponsorships.
| Rank | Team | Current Value | Annual Change | Debt | Revenue | Operating revenue |
| #1 | New York Yankees | $7.1 B | 18% | 0% | $657 M | $16 M |
| #2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | $4.8 B | 18% | 9% | $581 M | $14 M |
| #3 | Boston Red Sox | $4.5 B | 15% | 0% | $513 M | $72 M |
| #4 | Chicago Cubs | $4.1 B | 8% | 10% | $451 M | $57 M |
| #5 | San Francisco Giants | $3.7 B | 6% | 4% | $421 M | $75 M |
| #6 | New York Mets | $2.9 B | 9% | 16% | $374 M | $-138 M |
| #7 | Los Angeles Angels | $2.7 B | 23% | 0% | $371 M | $36 M |
| #8 | Atlanta Braves | $2.6 B | 24% | 18% | $425 M | $51 M |
| #9 | Philadelphia Phillies | $2.575 B | 12% | 5% | $398 M | $-3.7 M |
| #10 | St Louis Cardinals | $2.55 B | 4% | 8% | $358 M | $43 M |
| #11 | Houston Astros | $2.25 B | 14% | 13% | $407 M | $44 M |
| #12 | Texas Rangers | $2.225 B | 9% | 31% | $366 M | $58 M |
| #13 | Seattle Mariners | $2.2 B | 29% | 9% | $363 M | $86 M |
| #14 | Toronto Blue Jays | $2.1 B | 18% | 0% | $294 M | $-34 M |
| #15 | Chicago White Sox | $2.05 B | 16% | 7% | $276 M | $-53 M |
| #16 | Washington Nationals | $2 B | 0% | 25% | $356 M | $45 M |
| #17 | San Diego Padres | $1.75 B | 11% | 17% | $324 M | $-53 M |
| #18 | Baltimore Orioles | $1.713 B | 25% | 13% | $264 M | $67 M |
| #19 | Milwaukee Brewers | $1.605 B | 25% | 9% | $294 M | $23 M |
| #20 | Colorado Rockies | $1.475 B | 6% | 8% | $286 M | $-9.1 M |
| #21 | Detroit Tigers | $1.45 B | 4% | 12% | $260 M | $-26 M |
| #22 | Minnesota Twins | $1.39 B | 0% | 20% | $267 M | $-27 M |
| #23 | Arizona Diamondbacks | $1.38 B | 0% | 9% | $276 M | $30 M |
| #24 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $1.32 B | 0% | 11% | $262 M | $55 M |
| #25 | Cleveland Guardians | $1.3 B | 0% | 8% | $268 M | $40 M |
| #26 | Tampa Bay Rays | $1.25 B | 14% | 10% | $248 M | $9.5 M |
| #27 | Kansas City Royals | $1.2 B | 8% | 23% | $260 M | $33 M |
| #28 | Cincinnati Reds | $1.19 B | 0% | 13% | $250 M | $-9.6 M |
| #29 | Oakland Athletics | $1.18 B | 0% | 13% | $212 M | $29 M |
| #30 | Miami Marlins | $1 B | 1% | 40% | $238 M | $-500 K |
TV revenue adds to the Yankees worth
In 1973, Columbia Broadcasting System sold the team to a group led by George Steinbrenner for $10 million (CBS). Now, the Yankees franchise is worth $7.01 billion, which includes a 26% stake in the YES Network and a 23% share in the sports operations business Legends. The Dallas Cowboys ($6.5 billion), the New York Knicks ($6.12 billion), and the Golden State Warriors ($6.03 billion) are the only other teams worth more than $6 billion.
| Characteristic | Yankees Franchise value in million US dollars |
| 2023 | 7,100 |
| 2022 | 6,000 |
| 2021 | 5,250 |
| 2020 | 5,000 |
| 2019 | 4,600 |
| 2018 | 4,000 |
| 2017 | 3,700 |
| 2016 | 3,400 |
| 2015 | 3,200 |
| 2014 | 2,500 |
| 2013 | 2,300 |
| 2012 | 1,851 |
| 2011 | 1,700 |
| 2010 | 1,600 |
| 2009 | 1,500 |
| 2008 | 1,306 |
| 2007 | 1,200 |
| 2006 | 1,026 |
| 2005 | 850 |
| 2004 | 832 |
| 2003 | 849 |
| 2002 | 730 |
The MLB revenue reached an all-time high of $10.3 billion in the 2022 season, an increase of 7.8 percent from the previous year. Ticket sales increased by 64% to $2.4 billion (including postseason and spring training), with premium seating sales increasing by 35% to $$1.16 billion (the 2021 season began with nearly all ballparks under capacity restrictions). With player costs (salaries, bonuses, and benefits) up 13%, to $5.2 billion, and an increase in SG&A expenses, operating income (in the sense of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) came in at an average of $17.6 million per team, down 20% from the previous season.
Major League Baseball (MLB) is one of the biggest and most profitable professional sports leagues in the world. It has a long history of top teams and legendary players. In 2023, a new report showed that the most valuable teams in the league, such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox, are still getting more and more valuable.
Although the New York Yankees are undoubtedly at the top of the list of the most valuable clubs in Major League Baseball, this does not provide the whole picture. According to Spotrac, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the largest income made with $565 million, while the New York Mets have the highest payroll for 2023 with a staggering $335,993,332.
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[…] New York Yankees stand as the most valuable team in baseball, with an estimated worth of $7.1 billion. During the year 2022, the team achieved a staggering $657 million in revenue, after accounting for […]