Tag: Sportico

Report: Group of former sports stars in talks to buy minority stake in Bills

Report: Group of former sports stars in talks to buy minority stake in Bills

Despite not having played in the NFL, a few former star athletes in Jozy Altidore, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady are interested in buying a piece of the Buffalo Bills.

According to Sportico, the trio are in talks to purchase a minority stake in Buffalo’s football team. All have connections to Toronto professional teams during their playing days.

Carter and McGrady played in the NBA, meanwhile, Altidore is a former United States soccer player.

Re, Toronto: Carter and McGrady began their NBA careers with the Toronto Raptors and Altidore spent seven years with Toronto FC.

According to the Buffalo News, the Bills did not confirm the trio are interested in buying a minority stake specifically, but did tell the outlet that there has been a “significant amount of interest” from potential minority owners.

While there is no confirmation from the team, it makes sense. All three were spotted attending Buffalo’s “Monday Night Football” clash against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While there might be some pause because of the Toronto connection… no need to worry. With a new stadium on the way and a 30-year lease on the docket for the Bills in Orchard Park… the team is not going anywhere.

In mid-April, The Athletic reported that the Terry Pegula owned team did express interest in selling to minority owners.

Bills Wire will provide updates as information in made available.

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How valuable are the Commanders one year after the team sale?

How much are the Commanders worth one year after the sale?

Josh Harris and his partners bought the Washington Commanders last July for a record $6.05 billion, the highest price ever paid for a U.S. professional sports franchise.

The deal was complicated and took months to complete due to the amount of partners in Harris’ group. It also significantly raised Washington’s value.

On Monday, Sportico revealed its annual list of the NFL’s most valuable franchises. No surprise, the Dallas Cowboys again topped the list, but for the first time ever, are the first sports franchise to ever top $10 billion at $10.32 billion.

The timing is interesting for Dallas, as owner Jerry Jones needs to pay his top three players. The Cowboys finished the 2023 calendar year with an operating profit of $510 million — almost double the next-closest team.

So, what are the Commanders valued at ahead of the 2024 NFL season?

Sportico values Washington at $6.3 billion, the 10th-highest in the NFL. The Commanders ended the 2023 year with a $110 million operating profit, ahead of only six other NFL teams. This is remarkable considering Washington’s current stadium situation and its consistent losing that drove away many fans.

Speaking of Washington’s stadium, currently known as Commanders Field, Harris and his partners are using it as a way to maximize revenue, much like Jones and other NFL owners.

From Sportico:

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment CEO Tad Brown says non-NFL events are a “massive focus” for the Washington Commanders, which Josh Harris’ group bought last year for $6.05 billion. Brown said HBSE’s Entertainment team has been supporting the Commanders in attracting top events to Landover, Md., including a series of soccer friendlies this summer and booking concerts and other non-football events for summer 2025.

Harris has continued to invest in the current stadium to upgrade the fan experience for NFL and non-NFL events but is also looking at the club’s next home. Brown said the Commanders’ eventual new venue will be designed as a world-class football stadium and to host the biggest concerts and special events on a global scale.

Washington’s ownership group is currently negotiating a new stadium with Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. A location has yet to be finalized. However, once the Commanders finally build a new stadium, their value will soar.

Sportico values Buffalo Bills at $4.13 billion

#Bills valuation is $4.13 billion per Sportico:

The Buffalo Bills have seen an increase in their value but still remain one of the smaller-market clubs in the NFL.

According to Sportico, the Bills’ valuation sits at $4.13 billion. That is a 38 percent increase from the year prior ($2.99 billion).

Buffalo’s increase in value did not correspond to a higher ranking on the overall NFL team list. The Bills moved to No. 29 last year and remain there this year, ahead of the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals. The Lions passed the Jaguars in 2023.

Meanwhile the teams immediately ahead of Buffalo include the New Orleans Saints (No. 26), Arizona Cardinals (No. 27) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 28). The Bucs saw the most movement of any team in the entire NFL, dropping four places.

Sportico describes their valuation process as “the sum of the enterprise value of an NFL franchise combined with the value of team-related businesses and real estate holdings.”

Overall, the Bills’ revenue rose to $516 million, which is 27th in the league. That was up from $475 million last year, which was 29th.

Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the Bills for $1.4 billion in 2014. In the past, the Bills had been deemed the NFL’s least valuable franchise, specifically so by Forbes in 2021. The team’s net worth has continued to climb since the team’s success increased on the field, and undoubtedly the construction of their new stadium is factoring in massively.

The Dallas Cowboys remain the franchise with the highest valuation on the Sportico list at $9.2 billion.

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Commanders still rank among the top 10 most valuable NFL franchises

The Commanders are among the top 10 most valuable NFL franchises — and No. 3 in the NFC East.

For many years, the Washington NFL franchise was among the most valuable sports franchises in the world. Washington was often ranked among the top five until other teams began building new stadiums, pushing Washington down the list a bit.

Sportico recently released a list ranking all 32 NFL franchises by value. The Dallas Cowboys topped the list with a $7.64 billion valuation. The New York Giants came in at No. 4, worth $5.73 billion.

Where are the Washington Commanders?

Washington comes in at No. 8 with a value of $4.78 billion. Washington’s value actually went up 12% from a year ago, which is a surprise considering its stadium situation, empty seats at FedEx Field, controversy and controversy surrounding owner Daniel Snyder and tons of negative press.

A new stadium will enhance Washington’s value. As of now, the franchise has no deal with Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia on a location for a potential new stadium.

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Sportico: Buffalo Bills valued at $2.99 billion

Sportico: #Bills valued at $2.99 billion

The Buffalo Bills franchise is valued at $2.99 billion according to a study conducted by Sportico.

The figures released show that the Bills are the 29th most-valuable team in the NFL. The teams Buffalo outranked included:

  • Jacksonville Jaguars ($2.94B)
  • Detroit Lions ($2.86B)
  • Cincinnati Bengals ($2.84B).

While there are 28 teams ahead of the Bills, there is good news.

In comparison to the team’s 2021 valuation, Buffalo did jump one spot over Jacksonville. Additionally, the Bills have found themselves even lower, potentially on the very bottom, of such lists in the past.

The 29th spot is much better than the bottom of the barrel and a sign of changing times.

Helping the Bills jump the Jags was a 20 percent increase in valuation from Sportico’s numbers from a year ago.

Sportico released their 2022 valuations in light of the recent sale of the Denver Broncos. That deal fetched $4.65B.

The Dallas Cowboys ($7.64B, Los Angeles Rams ($5.91B), New England Patriots ($5.88B), New York Giants ($5.73B), and San Francisco 49ers ($5.18B) make up the five most valuable franchises in the NFL.

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Sportico lists Broncos as 10th-most valuable team in the NFL

Sportico says the #Broncos are the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL, with a projected revenue of $540 million in 2022.

Before the Denver Broncos were sold, Forbes estimated that the team was worth $3.75 billion last August.

One year later, another website has the Broncos valued significantly higher. Sportico has released its valuations of NFL teams and Denver’s franchise is worth an estimated $4.65 billion.

It’s no coincidence that $4.65 billion is exactly what the team’s (pending) new ownership group agreed to pay for the team earlier this summer. Sportico has the Broncos listed as the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL, with a 22% increase in value since last year.

Here’s part of what Kurt Badenhausen wrote about the sale on Sportico’s website:

The Broncos sold for roughly nine times 2021 revenue, versus the six times David Tepper paid for the Carolina Panthers in 2018, which was the last NFL sale and the previous NFL record deal at $2.28 billion. The Broncos are projected to generate $540 million in revenue for 2022. Scarcity value plays a significant role in the valuations, with only two teams changing hands since 2013 before the Denver deal. An added bonus: Walton should be able to write off roughly $4 billion of the purchase price to offset his income, thanks to how tax law treats the acquisition of intangible assets.

The Broncos are the most valuable team in the AFC West, above the Las Vegas Raiders ($4.08 billion), Los Angeles Chargers ($3.62 billion) and Kansas City Chiefs (3.54 billion).

The Dallas Cowboys ($7.64 billion) are considered the most valuable team in the league while the Cincinnati Bengals ($2.84 billion) are considered the least valuable. To view the complete list, visit Sportico.com.

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Report: Tiger Woods among five golfers on highest-paid athletes of all-time list

There are three golfers in the top four of this all-time money list.

Michael Jordan is the GOAT, we all know that.

Here’s another list that proves it: MJ is No. 1 on the list of top 25 highest paid athletes of all-time.

According to a report on Sportico, Jordan has inflation adjusted earnings of $2.62 billion. Yes, that’s billion with a B. His salary as a rookie in 1984 was $550,000. This year, it’s estimated he’ll make $150 million just from his Nike royalties.

The next few names on the list are interesting because three golfers—Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus—are in the top four.

Woods leads the all-time PGA Tour money list with $120,851,706 in on-course earnings, the only golfer to surpass the $100 million mark.

There are five golfers in all on the top-25 list.

Here’s a closer look at them and their numbers:

  • Tiger Woods – $2.1 billion
  • Arnold Palmer – $1.5 billion
  • Jack Nicklaus – $1.38 billion
  • Phil Mickelson – $1.08 billion
  • Greg Norman – $815 million

The common theme here, besides the gaudy amounts of cash, is most of the money these athletes make comes from endorsements, licensing and other off-course revenue streams.

Fourteen of the 25 are athletes from individual sports as golfers, tennis players, race car drivers and boxers all make the list. Five of the athletes are from the NBA, three play soccer, two are from MLB and just one from the NFL.

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