On the latest episode of La Previa, hosts Asli Pelit and Boris Gartner discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Sportico’s latest NFL valuations and European soccer leagues’ successful summer tours in the U.S.
The Dallas Cowboys are the most valuable NFL team, at $9.2 billion. They are also the most valuable sports team across all leagues globally. Of the 25 most valuable sports franchises in the world, 16 are NFL teams, followed by NBA, MLB and legacy soccer teams.
The average NFL team is worth $5.14 billion compared to Premier League’s $1.51 billion. While NFL and EPL’s average revenues are close ($586 million and $346 million, respectively), in terms of profits, NFL teams are ahead of the Premier League. The NFL locked in guaranteed profits and $120 billion in domestic media deals for the next nine years. A dozen of its teams generated over $200 million in local revenue from tickets, sponsorships, VIP suits and non-NFL events last season. The NFL also makes more money from sponsorships deals than the Premier League.
Next, the hosts talk about the record number of friendlies European soccer teams have played in North America this summer. The 34 mostly sold-out matches across the U.S. and Mexico showed growing American interest in global soccer leagues beyond legacy clubs. Organized by Relevent Sports, the Premier League’s tour included a doubleheader in Philadelphia featuring Fulham-Brentford and Newcastle-Aston Villa that saw over 100,000 fans in attendance. Just outside New York City, a Manchester United vs. Arsenal friendly organized by AEG drew 82,262 people. The sell-out crowd was also a record for a soccer match at MetLife Stadium.
Lastly, the hosts talk about professional women’s soccer growth in Europe. The knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand revealed that most players representing their countries play in European soccer leagues. England’s WSL sent 70 players to the Round of 16, while Spain’s Liga F sent 51, followed by 37 players from France’s D1 and 36 from the NWSL. With the USWNT now eliminated from the tournament, only five NWSL players will be in the quarterfinals.
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