Commanders sale sets record but these 5 teams have even faster growing values

Apr 21, 2023

Simone Del Rosario Business Correspondent

By Simone Del Rosario (Business Correspondent), Emma Stoltzfus (Editor), Brent Jabbour (Producer)

The Washington Commanders will be in the hands of Apollo Global founder Josh Harris after the $6 billion deal is finalized. It’s quite the return on investment for the team’s controversial owner Dan Snyder, who bought the team for $800 million in 1999.

At the time, it was a record price for a U.S. sports franchise. Buying a sports team tends to be a good bet with multiplying values. Here are the major men’s teams with the fastest growing values in this week’s Five For Friday.

5: New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are by far the most valuable MLB franchise. Legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Derek Jeter have all donned the iconic pinstripes. The team’s value surged to $7.1 billion in 2023, a 78% increase over the last five years.

Television revenue from the YES Network, which the organization partially owns, has been great for the bottom line. Aaron Judge breaking the American League home run record with 62 and a deep playoff run in 2022 keeps Yankee Stadium full and helps pay for that star-studded roster.

4: Las Vegas Raiders

NFL teams are the most expensive in all of sports. The Las Vegas Raiders have gone from a $2.4 billion valuation to $5.1 billion in less than five years, a 113% increase.

The Raiders were the second-least valuable team in 2015. But a move to Las Vegas and a state-of-the-art stadium landed the club a spot in the top 10. The franchise hopes for continued growth after they led the league in ticket sales for the 2021 season at $119 million. The Commanders, meanwhile, were second to last in sales that season.

3: Golden State Warriors

The Dallas Cowboys is proof a team doesn’t need a recent championship track record to be the most valuable franchise in a sport. But winning is how the Golden State Warriors soared to the top of the NBA.

The Dubs are worth $7 billion, according to Forbes, but others have them closer to $7.5 billion. Even the more conservative estimate is more than double the value from five years ago, up 126%. The Warriors have won four titles since 2015 and the brand new Chase Center has upped its value. This is how they can afford to continue employing the highest paid player in the league, Steph Curry.

2: Edmonton Oilers

The NHL’s Edmonton Oilers are the least valuable team on this list at $1.3 billion, but its value has grown 145% over the last half decade. Edmonton is where “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky started his NHL career. The team recently launched Oilers+, a new streaming service that offers fans pretty much everything but the actual game.

Canadian billionaire Daryl Katz bought the team 15 years ago for roughly $200 million. That’s a significant return on investment.

1: Paris Saint-Germain

Paris Saint-Germain has the fastest growing value in all of sports, spiking 280% over the last five years. The club has turned its fortunes around by paying some of the highest salaries in soccer. There’s even a Five For Friday on it.

Superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. helped the squad finish first or second in their league for the last decade. Now there are questions about what will happen with two of its biggest stars looking to make a move. PSG will likely come up with the cash to bring in more since it’s owned by Qatar and the state wealth fund is worth nearly half a trillion dollars.

Tags: Dan Snyder, NBA, NFL, NHL, Sports, Washington Commanders

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

THE WASHINGTON COMMANDERS JUST COMMANDED SIX BILLION DOLLARS TO SELL. IT’S QUITE THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR PROBLEMATIC OWNER DAN SNYDER, WHO BOUGHT THE TEAM IN 1999 FOR 800 MILLION…WHICH AT THE TIME WAS A RECORD PRICE FOR A U-S SPORTS FRANCHISE. TURNS OUT – SPORTS TEAMS MAKE GREAT BETS – HERE ARE THE MAJOR MEN’S TEAMS WITH THE FASTEST GROWING VALUES IN THEIR SPORT IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE EASILY THE MOST VALUABLE MLB FRANCHISE. LOOK YOU’VE GOT THE GREATS LIKE THE BABE, MANTLE, MARIS, AND JETER ALL DONNING PINSTRIPES. THE YANKS’ VALUE JUMPED TO $7.1 BILLION IN 2023, A 78% INCREASE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. TV REVENUE FROM THE YES NETWORK IS A BIG PLUS. PLUS, AARON JUDGE BREAKING THE A-L HOME RUN RECORD WITH 62 AND A DEEP PLAYOFF RUN? THAT’S GONNA KEEP BUTTS IN THE SEATS TO PAY FOR THAT STAR-STUDDED ROSTER.

NFL TEAMS ARE THE MOST EXPENSIVE IN ALL OF SPORTS. AND THE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS HAVE GONE FROM A $2.4 BILLION DOLLAR VALUATION TO $5.1 IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS. THAT’S A 113% INCREASE. NOT TOO SHABBY AFTER BEING THE SECOND CHEAPEST TEAM IN 2015. ALL IT TOOK WAS MOVE TO VEGAS AND A STATE OF THE ART STADIUM AND BAM, THEY CRACKED THE TOP TEN. (VO – ALLEGIANT STADIUM FULL – ADD IN HEADLINE REVEAL) IN FACT, THE RAIDERS LED THE LEAGUE IN TICKET SALES IN 2021 AT $119 MILLION. THE COMMANDERS? WERE SECOND TO LAST.

YOU DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO WIN TO BE WORTH A LOT, JUST ASK THE COWBOYS, BUT WINNING IS HOW THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS SOARED. FORBES HAS ‘EM WORTH $7 BILL, BUT OTHERS SEE IT CLOSER TO $7.5, MORE THAN DOUBLING IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. FOUR TITLES SINCE 2015 AND THE BRAND NEW CHASE CENTER GOT THEM THERE. THAT’S WHY THEY CAN AFFORD THE HIGHEST PAID NBA PLAYER. STEPH CURRY AND KLAY THOMPSON SHOULD BE CALLED THE “CASH” BROTHERS. IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW.

HOCKEY’S EDMONTON OILERS ARE THE LEAST VALUABLE TEAM ON THIS LIST AT $1.3 BILLION, BUT THE FRANCHISE VALUE’S GROWN 145% IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. FOR THE UNINITIATED, EDMONTON IS WHERE THE GREAT ONE WAYNE GRETZKY STARTED HIS NHL CAREER. LAST YEAR THE TEAM LAUNCHED OILERS PLUS, A NEW STREAMING SERVICE THAT OFFERS FANS EVERYTHING BUT THE ACTUAL GAME. CANADIAN BILLIONAIRE DARYL KATZ BOUGHT THE TEAM 15 YEARS AGO FOR ABOUT $200 MIL. HOW’S THAT FOR R-O-I?

PARIS SAINT GERMAIN HAS THE FASTEST GROWING VALUE IN THE WORLD, UP 280% OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS. HERE’S A CLUB THAT’S REALLY TURNED IT AROUND BY PAYING THE HIGHEST SALARIES! HAHA! WE’VE GOT A FIVE FOR FRIDAY ON IT. WITH SUPERSTARS LIKE MBAPPE, MESSI, AND NEYMAR, THEY’VE FINISHED FIRST OR SECOND IN THEIR LEAGUE FOR THE LAST DECADE. BUT WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN WITH TWO OF THEIR BRIGHTEST TRYING TO BAIL? SOMETHING TELLS ME THEY’LL COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO BRING IN MORE, THE CLUB IS OWNED BY THE COUNTRY QATAR, AND THE WEALTH FUND IS WORTH NEARLY HALF A TRILLION.

MORAL OF THE STORY, GOT A FEW BILLION AND SOME RICH FRIENDS? POOL IT TOGETHER, A SPORTS TEAM IS A GREAT INVESTMENT. JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT OVER THE WEEKEND. THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY. I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IT’S JUST BUSINESS.