The Miami Heat might be the most successful team in town right now, but the Dolphins still reign supreme in terms of most valuable franchise. Forbes.com has listed the world's most valuable sports teams. The Fins came in 22nd overall, but the Heat didn't even make the cut.
Forbes estimates the Dolphins are worth about $1.01 billion. However, that's because NFL teams, on average, seem to be more valuable than other sports leagues. Thirteen other NFL teams on the list ranked higher than the Dolphins (including the New England Patriots and the New York Jets). Forbes.com's writeup of the Fins isn't exactly positive:
The Dolphins brand has been damaged in recent years after three straight losing seasons and only one playoff appearance in the last decade. The team lost its first seven games of the 2011 season and struggled to sell tickets.The Dolphins, team sponsors and the local TV station often bought unsold tickets to prevent home games from being blacked out. The Dolphins roster of investors reads like a who's who of pop culture: Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Fergie, and Serena and Venus Williams.The Heat, despite boasting the world's best basketball player in LeBron James, didn't make the list. The only NBA teams in the top 50 are the Los Angeles Lakers at #35 and the New York Knicks and #43.
But the Heat could see its value skyrocket soon. Several reports claim the team is about to sign a local TV coverage deal with Fox Sports Florida worth $80 to $100 million a year. That would be the second-richest TV deal in the NBA, only behind the Lakers. It would be worth about four times more than their current deal.
In case you're wondering, here's the overall top ten:
1. Manchester United ($2.23 billion)
2. Real Madrid ($1.88 billion)
3. New York Yankees ($1.85 billion)
3. Dallas Cowboys ($1.85 billion)
5. Washington Redskins ($1.56 billion)
6. Los Angeles Dodgers ($1.4 billion)
6. New England Patriots ($1.4 billion)
8. Barcelona ($1.31 billion)
9. New York Giants ($1.3 billion)
10. Arsenal ($1.29 billion)
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