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The National Football League (NFL) is a true cash cow and reigns as one of the most valuable professional sports in the US, with an all-time-high of $11.9 billion in national (equally shared) revenue generated during the 2022 season.

The league’s 32 teams each took in $372 million from national media rights, league sponsorships, merchandising, and licensing.

Since its inception in 1920, the League endured difficult years and sporadic attendance until the late 1980s, when interest surged, and the league started experiencing consistent growth.

The NFL is the most popular sports league in the United States, drawing the highest attendance and TV ratings by far, with the individual games accounting for many of the most watched television programs in American history.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2017, 33 percent of Americans identify as NFL fans; the figure has increased significantly since. The NFL also has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league worldwide.

NFL teams earn revenue from ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorships, and television rights. In 2022, NFL merchandise sales totaled over $12 billion, the highest among professional sports in North America.

Each franchise in the NFL has an average value of $4.1 billion, which represents an 18 percent increase from 2021.

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10 Philadelphia Eagles

$5.8 Billion

The Philadelphia Eagles are an American professional football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division.

The team plays its home games at Lincoln Financial Field in Center City, testing its 67,594 seat capacity.

The Philadelphia Eagles rank among the strongest teams in the NFL for attendance, and every home game has sold out continuously since the 1999 season.

The average regular season home attendance for the Eagles in 2023 was 69,878 per game. The Eagles are owned by Jeffrey Lurie, who bought the team from previous owner Norman Braman for $185 million in 1994.

In 2022, the franchise reportedly generated $598 million in revenue.

9 San Francisco 49ers

$6 Billion

The San Francisco 49ers have a storied history; they have won five Super Bowls and have appeared in six more.

Founded in 1949 as the first three teams playing a "big four" sport in the Western United States, the San Francisco 49ers competes in the Western Division of the National Football Conference, one of two conferences making up the NFL.

The 49ers call the 68,500-capacity Levi's Stadium home. The average home attendance for the San Francisco 49ers in the 2023 season stands at 71,596, and the attendance for the whole season is 286,386.

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The franchise is owned by the York family, who purchased the team for $13 million in 1977. In 2021, the franchise's revenue amounted to $575 million, the fifth highest in the league.

Under the stewardship of general manager John Lynch, the 49ers' valuation soared from $3.5 billion in 2021 to $6 billion in 2023, marking a significant growth in the span of just two short years.

8 Washington Commanders

$6.05 Billion

The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, and it has won three NFL championships, most recently in 1991.

The franchise has played over 1,000 games, and is one of only five teams in the NFL with more than 600 total wins.

The Washington Commanders changed their name from "Washington Football Team" to "the Washington Commanders" in 2022, part of a larger controversy involving the franchise's original name and branding.

In September 2023, Native News Online explained the controversial history of the Commanders' name, which was first changed from a pejorative term for Native Americans in 2020.

In particular, the outlet addressed calls to restore the team's former name, before they settled on the Washington "Commanders":

Washington Commanders’ President Jason Writer set the record straight, saying that the [former] team name would not be considered. Washington changed its former Redsk*ns team name in July 2020, after 87 years and years of refusal by the team’s former owner, Dan Snyder to change [that] name ...

... After the name change in 2020, the Washington franchise took the name Commanders in 2022 after two years as the Washington Football Team.

The franchise is owned by a group headed by Josh Harris, who acquired the team in 2023 for $6.05 billion. The Commanders hold a unique distinction as the only Washington-based franchise in the NFL, which translates to an extensive and loyal local fan base.

The team plays its home games at the stadium FedExField in Landover, Maryland (with a capacity of 58,000). The team's average home attendance for the regular season in 2023 was 71,596.

Despite ongoing controversy surrounding the team's name, the Commanders attracted the attention of numerous global brands and managed to secure partnerships with a dozen companies, including Anheuser-Busch, Clark Construction, and VHC Health.

The Washington Commanders have seen their value rise due to rebranding and revitalization efforts; as of 2023, the franchise is valued at $6.05 million.

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7 New York Jets

$6.1 Billion

Despite recent on-field struggles, the New York Jets have managed to achieve growth in their franchise value over the years.

Their remarkable ascent can be attributed to their marketability, successful re-branding efforts, and the fact that they play in the world's financial epicenter, New York.

The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The franchise recorded a revenue of $560 million in 2022, further underscoring its financial standing in the NFL.

The Jets are valued at $6.1 billion, marking a 13 percent increase from 2022 – even though the franchise's fans have endured a championship drought lasting an interminable six decades.

6 Las Vegas Raiders

$6.2 Billion

The Las Vegas Raiders are a member club of the NFL's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.

The Raiders were established in 1960 as the Oakland Raiders. Poor performance on the field, financial challenges, and spotty attendance marred the team's first three years of operation.

The Raiders' on-field track record has varied considerably over the years, but with restructuring, the team turned its fortunes around and won three championships in seven years.

The Silver and Black relocated to Las Vegas in January 2020 and got a huge bump from having fans at the new Allegiant Stadium.

In 2023, the Las Vegas Raiders recorded an average home attendance of 62,295 spectators. The franchise generated $729 million in revenue in 2023, reaffirming its strong standing as a successful franchise in the league.

The franchise's value currently stands at $6.2 billion – a 22 percent increase from 2022, when they were ninth – representing a significant leap of $1.1 billion.

5 Chicago Bears

$6.3 Billion

The Chicago Bears were established in 1920 by George Halas, and the team is primarily owned by the heirs of George Halas.

Halas' daughter Virginia Halas McCaskey holds 22.6 percent of the team's stocks.

Along with the Arizona Cardinals, the Chicago Bears ​​​​​are one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL's founding in 1920.

"Da Bears" have won nine NFL Championships, including one Super Bowl in 1986. Compared to their valuation in 2002, the Chicago Bears have witnessed a staggering increase of over tenfold in their valuation by 2023, which now stands at $6.3 billion.

This remarkable commercial growth is further fortified by major sponsorship deals with Dr. Pepper, Snapple Group, United Airlines, and Verizon, all of which contribute to their massive income annually.

The Bears earned around $556 million in 2022 while maintaining the lowest operating cost in the NFL, with expenditures totaling just $203 million.

4 New York Giants

$6.8 Billion

The New York Giants were founded in 1925.

The team has won four Super Bowl championships, most recently in 2012. The Giants play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Giants have had a long (and at times, turbulent) financial history. Tim Mara founded the team with an investment of just $500.

In 1991, Tim Mara (grandson of the founder) was battling cancer, and sold his half of the team to Bob Tisch for a reported $80 million; a transformation followed.

The team has a massive fan base, as its headquarters is located in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants boast the largest waiting list for season tickets in North American professional sports, with an estimated 135,000 people patiently awaiting their turn.

By the conclusion of the 2022/2023 season, the franchise's value had reached an impressive $6.8 billion, generating revenue of $639 million.

3 Los Angeles Rams

$6.9 Billion

The Rams were founded in 1946 by Ohio attorney Homer Marshmanas, as the Cleveland Rams in Cleveland.

The team has won two Super Bowl championships, most recently in 2022. In 2010, Stan Kroenke, formerly a minority owner, acquired a majority stake in the franchise, investing $750 million and assuming the role of CEO.

The Rams call SoFi Stadium in Inglewood home, an impressive 70,240 seat arena that stands as the world's most expensive stadium, with construction costs exceeding $5 billion.

The Rams' average regular season home attendance during the 2023 NFL season stood at 73,587, and the average ticket price for a Rams game in 2023 was $154.

The Los Angeles Rams' revenue in 2023 amounted to approximately $686 million, and its operating income was about $125 million.

The franchise is one of the fastest-growing sports teams in the world, with a valuation of $6.9 billion.

2 New England Patriots

$7 Billion

The New England Patriots, under the ownership of Robert Kraft, have been a model of sustained success.

Their revenue surge is powered by its passionate fan base, a dynasty of Super Bowl wins, and strong merchandising deals, making them a force to be reckoned with in the NFL landscape.

The New England Patriots were founded in 1959 by Billy Sullivan Jr. The team has won six Super Bowl championships(a record), most recently in 2019.

The franchise endured a challenging era in the 20th century, with few playoff appearances. However, things turned green when they acquired future three-time MVP Tom Brady.

The Patriots are also one of the most valuable sports teams in the world, and the second highest-grossing team in the NFL, with more than $684 million in annual revenue as of 2023.

1 Dallas Cowboys

$9 Billion

The Cowboys are practically an American football institution, a global brand with over eight million fans worldwide.

For scale, the fanbase of the Cowbows rivals the population of one of America's most populous cities. There are just over eight million residents in all five boroughs of New York City.

The Dallas Cowboys were established as an expansion team in 1960. The Cowboys have won five Super Bowl championships and eight NFC championships, the most in the conference's history.

The franchise is one of the most marketable franchises in sports; the Cowboys are the first team to generate more than $1.1 billion in revenue – primarily due to a series of profitable sponsorship deals, such as a ten year contract with Molson Coors worth $200 million. This all-American team has no peer when it comes to valuation.

In 2023, the estimated value of the Dallas Cowboys rose to $9 billion. This was the highest franchise value among teams in the NFL, and a stark increase from the team's value from 20 years prior, when the Cowboys brand had yet to break $1 billion.

The Dallas Cowboys are, in fact, the most valuable sports franchise in the world.