Forbes Ranks Dodgers 38th In Most Valuable Franchises, Lakers At 48
LOS ANGELES (CBS) - Forbes has broken out its most monetarily valuable sports teams, ranking the top 50.
Americans may be surprised to know there's a soccer team at the top, but Manchester United is a powerful force over in England fresh off winning its 19th Premier League title. Past that, however, football utterly dominates the list with all 32 teams making it with the lowest at No. 45 (Jacksonville Jaguars).
That just speaks to the sway that football has over the American public. No other league even comes close to rivaling football's value on an individual-team basis. Soccer had the next most representatives with eight, while baseball saw six representatives.
The first of the six is the Yankees, valued at $1.7 billion, which is 86 percent more than the next team on the list in the Red Sox, who rank all the way down at 31 with $912 million. After that is the Dodgers with a value of $800 million ranked 38th. No wonder Frank McCourt is trying to hang onto the team so desperately.
The Cubs are next at 42 with a valuation of $773 million, followed by the Mets -- who have their own money problems -- at 44 with $747 million. Rounding out the big-six list for baseball are the Phillies in the 50-spot, valued at $609 million.
Only two NBA teams made the top 50, with the New York Knicks ranked 47 valued at $655 million and just below them, the Los Angeles Lakers at 48 worth $643 million.
