The value of the New Orleans Saints football franchise increased 16% over the past year to $1.75 billion, but its standing among the most valuable NFL teams slipped six spots to No. 29, according the latest annual ranking by Forbes.
Last year, the Saints—which on Sunday dropped to 0-2 after losing to the New York Giants—were valued at $1.53 billion, ranking as the 23rd most valuable team in the league.
Revenue increased to $358 million last year, up from $322 million the year previous. And while operating income rose $7 million to $77 million last year, player expenses rose $29 million to $191 million.
A breakdown of the Saints’ valuation by Forbes shows the portion of the franchise’s value attributable to revenue shared among all teams is $1.1 billion, while the portion of its value attributable to its city and market size is $255 million. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is valued at another $197 million, and the Saints brand is valued at $111 million.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is ranked as the NFL’s 10th highest paid professional football player this year, earning $31 million total.
Across the NFL, a relocation and new stadiums drove team values 19% higher over the past year, to an average of $2.34 billion. The NFL’s 32 teams share equally the vast majority of their television money and national sponsorship revenue as well as about one-third of ticket proceeds. In 2015, the league shared 63% of its combined $12.2 billion in revenue (including what teams take in from non-NFL events at their stadiums, net of what goes toward stadium debt).
The Dallas Cowboys are ranked as the NFL’s most valuable team, at $4.2 billion, up 5% from a year ago. The least valuable team is the Buffalo Bills, at $1.5 billion, but still an increase of 7%.
