The Seahawks increased in value four percent from a year ago to $1.081 billion, according to Forbes annual estimate of NFL team values. That ranks 15th among the 32 teams, and slightly below the $1.17 billion average for franchises in the world’s most valuable sports league. The magazine estimated Seahawks’ profits at $28.2 million for the previous year.
So yes, the Seahawks can afford the transparent plastic bags for the goodies you want to bring through the stadium gates for Saturday’s 7 p.m. exhibition game against the Denver Broncos. Thanks for asking.
The Seahawks have sold out the house last season and this season at CenturyLink Field and are among the favorites to reach the Super Bowl. They even sold out the practice-field berm’s 2,500 spaces for all of the team’s public sessions during the now-concluded training camp at Virginia Mason Ahletic Center in Renton.
The team was purchased by Paul Allen in 1997 for $200 million. Allen’s other pro sports team, the Portland Trail Blazers, was valued in January at $457 million, which also ranked 15th in the 30-team NBA. Forbes doesn’t rank MLS teams, but the Sounders, in which Allen is a minority owner, is likely the most valuable Major League Soccer franchise with attendance double the next-highest team.
For the seventh year in a row, the Dallas Cowboys lead the NFL valuations at $2.3 billion, thanks largely to revenues from their ultra-chic stadium, which now has a new naming rights sponsor, AT&T, paying $500 million over 25 years.
The only team that had a net loss in annual operations was the Detroit Lions (-$3.5 million), which has lost money four years in a row in a city that has declared bankruptcy.
Chart from Forbes via Sports Business Daily:
| RANK | TEAM |
CURRENT VALUE
|
1-YEAR
% +/- |
DEBT
VALUE |
REVENUE
|
OPERATING INCOME
|
| 1) | Cowboys |
$2.3B
|
10%
|
12%
|
$539M
|
$250.7M
|
| 2) | Patriots |
$1.8B
|
10%
|
14%
|
$408M
|
$139.2M
|
| 3) | Redskins |
$1.7B
|
6%
|
26%
|
$381M
|
$104.3M
|
| 4) | Giants |
$1.55B
|
6%
|
42%
|
$338M
|
$64.4M
|
| 5) | Texans |
$1.45B
|
11%
|
13%
|
$320M
|
$81.5M
|
| 6) | Jets |
$1.38B
|
7%
|
54%
|
$321M
|
$52.8M
|
| 7) | Eagles |
$1.314B
|
4%
|
15%
|
$306M
|
$47.8M
|
| 8) | Bears |
$1.252B
|
5%
|
9%
|
$298M
|
$63.2M
|
| 9) | Ravens |
$1.227B
|
6%
|
22%
|
$292M
|
$48.3M
|
| 10) | 49ers |
$1.224B
|
4%
|
11%
|
$255M
|
$10.2M
|
| 11) | Colts |
$1.2B
|
4%
|
4%
|
$276M
|
$65M
|
| 12) | Packers |
$1.183B
|
2%
|
2%
|
$282M
|
$54.3M
|
| 13) | Broncos |
$1.161B
|
3%
|
12%
|
$283M
|
$31.7M
|
| 14) | Steelers |
$1.118B
|
2%
|
18%
|
$266M
|
$28.3M
|
| 15) | Seahawks |
$1.081B
|
4%
|
11%
|
$270M
|
$28.2M
|
| 16) | Dolphins |
$1.074B
|
1%
|
36%
|
$268M
|
$24.8M
|
| 17) | Buccaneers |
$1.067B
|
3%
|
17%
|
$267M
|
$2.2M
|
| 18) | Panthers |
$1.057B
|
1%
|
6%
|
$271M
|
$28.9M
|
| 19) | Titans |
$1.055B
|
4%
|
12%
|
$270M
|
$40M
|
| 20) | Chiefs |
$1.009B
|
–
|
7%
|
$245M
|
$15M
|
| 21) | Vikings |
$1.007B
|
3%
|
33%
|
$234M
|
$28M
|
| 22) | Browns |
$1.005B
|
2%
|
20%
|
$264M
|
$17.1M
|
| 23) | Saints |
$1.004B
|
3%
|
7%
|
$276M
|
$22.2M
|
| 24) | Cardinals |
$961M
|
4%
|
16%
|
$253M
|
$9.7M
|
| 25) | Chargers |
$949M
|
1%
|
11%
|
$250M
|
$30.4M
|
| 26) | Falcons |
$933M
|
11%
|
29%
|
$252M
|
$18.5M
|
| 27) | Bengals |
$924M
|
6%
|
11%
|
$250M
|
$37.3M
|
| 28) | Lions |
$900M
|
5%
|
31%
|
$248M
|
-$3.5M
|
| 29) | Rams |
$875M
|
12%
|
13%
|
$239M
|
$21.1M
|
| 30) | Bills |
$870M
|
8%
|
14%
|
$256M
|
$12.6M
|
| 31) | Jaguars |
$840M
|
9%
|
24%
|
$260M
|
$15.5M
|
| 32) | Raiders |
$825M
|
5%
|
24%
|
$229M
|
$19.1M
|
3 Comments
And this is why Paul Allen demanded tax subsidies for his new stadium — because he could not afford to pay for it himself.
That’s incredible that a corporate entity will pay so much to have their name on a professional sport venue. Does it really make that much of an impact on business? It’s not like Enron was helped any having their name on the Astros ballpark.
I’d think the Seahawks would be in the top 10 at least. So maybe they don’t charge as much as other teams with corporate sponsorships? Does this mean Century Link will have to shell out more dough when their contract is up?
Because of the
socialist nature of the NFL’s business model, one of the few areas where
teams can distinguish themselves is stadium revenue, since not all of
that is shared amongst league members. One rough way to judge how well a
team is generating stadium revenue is to see where its team value rates
in the league with relation to its market size. By this measure, the
Seahawks are about where they should be, when accounting for two team
markets in NY, the Bay Area and WashBalt. Some bigger market
teams are under performing. But, for various reasons, teams in smaller
markets are more valuable (Colts, Packers, Broncos & Steelers) than the Hawks.
Presumably, those teams are squeezing more money out of their stadiums
relative to their market size than the Seahawks. Can the Hawks do anything about this? Does it even matter? This team value
report is splitting hairs anyways. My bet would be that they continue
to try to find more revenue generating opportunities out of the Clink
with updates here and there to the facility.
FYI
to Art. In an interview at the conclusion of the 2012 MLS season, SI’s
Grant Wahl interviewed then-AEG head Tim Leiweke. One notable exchange
from that was when Leiweke estimated the Galaxy and Sounders as the
league’s most valuable franchises,
at $150M. Not sure how he got there, but the recent $100M expansion
fee paid by NYC FC probably means he was on the right track. Thus, Allen’s minority investment in the Sounders is looking pretty good.