Broncos on Forbes 50 Most Valuable Teams list

Forbes magazine on Wednesday released its annual “Worlds 50 most Valuable Sports Teams” list and one of Colorado’s franchises made the cut. The Denver Broncos ranked No. 26 with a value of $1.45 billion. The Broncos ranked 11th among NFL franchises on the list.

The past year has been rather a transitional year for Denver, as long-time owner Pat Bowlen officially stepped away to fully focus on his health. The team also made major transitions within its coaching staff, replacing head coach John Fox with Gary Kubiak, as well as both offensive and defensive coordinators.

The top 50 is based on Forbes’ valuations done in the past year for the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, F1, soccer and Nascar. Team values are enterprise values (equity plus debt) based on current venue deals (unless a new venue is pending).

The Dallas Cowboys topped the list of NFL clubs on the annual report, tying with the New York Yankees for second overall with a value of $3.2 billion each. Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer club, eked out the Cowboys and Yankees at $3.26 billion for the top spot.

Another franchise with local ties to make the list was Arsenal soccer club. The team’s majority shareholder is none other than Stan Kroenke, CEO of Kroenke Sports Enterprises. Under the Kroenke umbrella are the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth, and Altitude Sports and Entertainment.

Arsenal made the list thanks in-part to their new five-year kit-deal with Puma. The deal starts during the 2014-2015 season and averages $51 million a year. The EPL club ranked No. 36 on the list with a value of $1.31 billion.

Major television deals in the United States and Europe largely impacted this year’s rankings, including the NFL’s $5 billion per year network deal that began last season. New deals in the NBA and MLB as well as for the English Premier League helped catapult many of their clubs as well.

According to Forbes:

The world’s 50 most valuable sports teams are now worth $1.75 billion on average, up 31% from 2014. The minimum valuation to make the cut is $1.15 billion, versus $856 million a year ago, thanks largely to the soaring worth of NBA and MLB teams. The top 50 includes 22 baseball and basketball franchises, compared to only 10 in 2014.

Additionally:

The NFL landed the most teams in the top 50 with 20 franchises, followed by MLB (12), NBA (10) and soccer (7). Formula One’s most storied squad, Ferrari, made the cut at No. 32 worth $1.35 billion and the NHL landed one team on the list with the Toronto Maple Leafs tied for No. 37 at $1.3 billion.

The full list is as follows:

1) Real Madrid- $3.26 billion
2t) Dallas Cowboys- $3.2 billion
2t) New York Yankees- $3.2 billion
4) FC Barcelona- $3.16 billion
5) Manchester United $3.1 billion
6t) Los Angeles Lakers- $2.6 billion
6t) New England Patriots- $2.6 billion
8) New York Knicks- $2.5 billion
9t) Los Angeles Dodgers- $2.4 billion
9t) Washington Redskins- $2.4 billion
11) Bayern Munich- $2.35 billion
12t) Boston Red Sox- $2.1 billion
12t) New York Giants- $2.1 billion
14t) Chicago Bulls- $2 billion
14t) San Francisco Giants- $2 billion
16) Houston Texans- $1.85 billion
17t) Chicago Cubs- $1.8 billion
17t) New York Jets- $1.8 billion
19) Philadelphia Eagles- $1.75 billion
20t) Boston Celtics- $1.7 billion
20t) Chicago Bears- $1.7 billion
22t) Los Angeles Clippers- $1.6 billion
22t) San Francisco 49ers- $1.6 billion
24) Baltimore Ravens- $1.5 billion
25) Brooklyn Nets- $1.5 billion
26) Denver Broncos- $1.45 billion
27t) Indianapolis Colts- $1.4 billion
27t) St. Louis Cardinals- $1.4 billion
29t) Green Bay Packers- $1.38 billion
29t) Manchester City- $1.39 billion
31) Chelsea- $1.37 billion
32t) Ferrari- $1.35 billion
32t) New York Mets- $1.35 billion
32t) Pittsburgh Steelers- $1.35 billion
35) Seattle Seahawks- $1.33 billion
36) Arsenal- $1.31 billion
37t) Golden State Warriors- $1.3 billion
37t) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- $1.3 billion
37t) Miami Dolphins- $1.3 billion
37t) Toronto Maple Leafs- $1.3 billion
41) Washington Nationals- $1.28 billion
42t) Carolina Panthers- $1.25 billion
42t) Houston Rockets- $1.25 billion
42t) Philadelphia Phillies- $1.25 billion
45) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- $1.23 billion
46) Texas Rangers- $1.22 billion
47) Miami Heat- $1.18 billion
48) Tennessee Titans- $1.16 billion
49) Atlanta Braves- $1.15 billion
49) Dallas Mavericks- $1.15 billion
49) Minnesota Vikings- $1.15 billion

Marcus Flowers, a Mile High Sports intern and Claflin University student, contributed to this report