Sports team investments have received outsized attention in recent years, with dozens of new funds chasing market-beating returns in a category that is not correlated with most other assets.

But not all leagues are created equal and returns varied wildly in 2025. In the WNBA, the average franchise value rose 180% year-over-year, according to Sportico’s May WNBA valuations. On the other end, MLS team values ticked up only 6%, as the league grapples with generating more media revenue.

Here is a look at the eight sports entities Sportico valued in 2025 and what is fueling those changes. Leagues are ranked in order of the average team value. Sportico’s NWSL team valuations, which were delayed by a few months, will return in early 2026.

NFL ($7.13 billion)

Owners debated for several years about opening their league to institutional investors, and if they did, what it might mean for franchise values. The pro-PE crowd got its way in 2024, and a flurry of LP deals were inked over the next 12 months.

A half-dozen teams sold stakes at valuations of at least $8 billion, led by the Koch family’s purchase of 10% of the New York Giants at a valuation just over $10.5 billion. Almost no one thinks these LP deal values are at premiums to control ones, as can happen in startup leagues or with tiny stakes.

Sportico’s NFL valuations were led by the Dallas Cowboys at $12.8 billion, with the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 32 ($5.5 billion). The one-year average jumped 20%.

“Private equity represents a sea change for the NFL, and you have almost every team talking to the approved PE firms,” Jeffrey Kaplan, Andalusian Sports Advisors co-founder, told Sportico in August. “It makes a lot of sense for NFL teams to consider the role of minority private equity capital.”

NBA ($5.51 billion)

The average NBA franchise value is up 113% from 2022, as a half-dozen teams were sold since then at ever-escalating prices. The latest was Mark Walter’s $10 billion buy of the Los Angeles Lakers that blew past the previous record sale for any sports team. William Chisholm’s group bought the Boston Celtics months earlier in a deal that valued the first tranche at $6.1 billion.

The Golden State Warriors led Sportico’s NBA valuations for the fifth straight year at $11.33 billion—only the Cowboys rank higher among global sports franchises. The league’s “get-in” price is $4 billion, with the Memphis Grizzles at No. 30, and the average rose 20%, matching the NFL’s gain.

League revenue is projected to hit $14.3 billion during the 2025-26 season, up 12% from last season. It marks Year 1 of the new media contracts with Amazon, ESPN/ABC and NBC that will bump each team’s TV revenue from $103 million to $143 million. The payouts rise roughly 7% per year on average, resulting in each team on track for $281 million for the 2034-35 season, based on a 30-team league. Forty years ago, each NBA team received roughly $1.5 million from national TV.

Formula 1 ($3.42 billion)

The 10 teams on the grid in 2025 rose 48% in value and are now more than double Sportico’s 2023 F1 team valuations, when the average was $1.61 billion. Ferrari was on top for the third straight year at $6.4 billion, but Mercedes ($5.88 billion) and McLaren ($4.73 billion) closed the gap at the top with their values up 49% and 78%, versus 34% for Ferrari.

“It’s a great time to be in Formula 1, as I think the pie is growing for everyone,” Jefferson Slack, Aston Martin’s head of commercial operations, said in a November interview. “The sport is moving towards a very healthy ecosystem. I think it is already there.”

Control sales are rare in F1, with only 10 teams ahead of Cadillac’s entry in 2026, but teams have sold LP stakes in recent years that reflect investor appetite for the race series that has thrived under Liberty Media’s ownership and the introduction of cost caps. The biggest deal was CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz buying 5% of Mercedes from its CEO and principal Toto Wolff at a $6 billion valuation.

MLB ($2.82 billion)

The New York Yankees lead the way at $8.39 billion, but the Los Angeles Dodgers ($7.73 billion) have closed the gap between the sport’s two financial titans. The valuation gap was $2.1 billion in 2022, but was $660 million in Sportico’s 2025 MLB valuations.

In 2024, the Dodgers became the first MLB team to reach $1 billion in gross revenue, thanks to the arrival of Shohei Ohtani, a World Series run and the biggest TV deal in the sport. The only other sports teams in the world to hit that mark are the Cowboys and LaLiga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Dodgers’ 23% increase and double-digit bumps for the Philadelphia Phillies ($3.39 billion) and San Diego Padres ($2.31 billion) drove the average value up 7%, but the gains aren’t consistent all the way down as the league grapples with a series of challenges that are intertwined with revenue disparity, media distribution and looming labor negotiations.

Global Soccer ($2.33 billion)

Sportico’s 50 most valuable soccer teams include 19 MLS franchises and 14 EPL clubs. Europe dominates the top of the financial table with six Premier League clubs in the top 15 and three each from LaLiga and Serie A. But MLS heavily populates the bottom 70% of the list, led by Los Angeles FC at No. 16.

The top 30 non-MLS teams were valued in May at $2.33 billion on average, with Real Madrid first at $6.53 billion, up 8% and ahead of Manchester United ($6.09 billion). Real Madrid is the first soccer club to generate €1 billion in operating revenue, and its fortunes soared with the five-year, $1.2 billion renovation of its Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Revenue multiples remain the standard by which most bankers value sports franchises. In MLS, teams are valued at an average of 9.4 times revenue, versus 4.9 times for the non-MLS teams in the top-50 list. Relegation risk and lack of restraints on player spending drive the discount.

Five of the top 15 clubs had an operating loss greater than $60 million combined during their past two seasons. PSG lost $60 million during the 2023-24 season, but it was better than the $117 million and $400 million shortfalls the previous two years.

NHL ($2.1 billion)

The good vibes between the NHL and its players union are in sharp contrast to the four work stoppages over the past two decades, including the cancellation of the entire 2004-05 season. In June, the two sides ratified a new four-year labor deal, more than a year ahead of the expiration of the current CBA. The newfound harmony and hard salary cap are both notches in the league’s growth story.

The average NHL franchise was up 17% from 2024 by Sportico’s calculations. The total is more than double the $1.01 billion average in 2022. By comparison, the three-year change for the NBA is 83%, followed by the NFL at 72% and MLB lagging at 22%. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank first at $4.25 billion, while the Columbus Blue Jackets are No. 32 at $1.3 billion.

Among the five biggest North American sports leagues, a pair of NHL teams had the biggest valuation gains, as the Carolina Hurricanes ($1.92 billion, up 49%) and Florida Panthers  ($1.89 billion, up 51%) converted dominant on-ice results into thriving businesses.

MLS ($721 million)

MLS is facing an inflection point in several ways, with a critical 24 months ahead covering a trio of major areas. The 2026 World Cup offers an opportunity to convert more casual sports fans—and more serious American soccer fans—into MLS fans. The league will pursue this objective as it changes its playing schedule to match the FIFA soccer calendar. And top of mind for many teams is how to unlock more value from media, after the league cut its 10-year Apple deal short three-and-a-half years to end in 2029.

The average team value rose 6% in Sportico’s January MLS valuations, with LAFC at No. 1 and worth $1.28 billion. Yet, the gains are not shared equally. Six teams rose in value at least 10%, fueled by new stadium projects or thriving local businesses, while a dozen teams inched up 3% or fewer.

The average club rose 31% from Sportico’s first MLS valuations in 2021, while the least-valuable club rose 22% during that time. For comparison, the NBA get-in price is up 127%, versus 122% in the NFL and just 10% for MLB, the latter of which has been hampered by the melting regional sports network model. The NHL had the greatest growth for its club ranked last, up 159%.

Real Salt Lake is the only MLS team sold during the past four years, but three teams are currently on the market in the Vancouver Whitecaps, San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders.

WNBA ($269 million)

WNBA values rose 180% compared to 2024, which is more than double the previous biggest year-over-year gain for a major sports league—that happened when Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014 and drove NBA prices higher across the board.

The Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever had the biggest one-year value gain at 273%, ranking third overall with a $335 million valuation. The 2024 champion New York Liberty were second at $420 million, with the second-largest gain of 222%.

Meanwhile, the WNBA’s most valuable team didn’t play its first game until 2025. The Golden State Valkyries led our May WNBA team valuations at $500 million, a 10x return from the expansion fee Golden State Warriors ownership, led by Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, agreed to pay in October 2023.

Lacob and Guber bought the Warriors in 2010 for $450 million, and it took nine years for the franchise value to rise 1,000%. For the Valkyries, it was less than two years.

WOBURN – During their last meetings of 2025, both the City Council and School Committee observed moments of silence to reflect on the loss of beloved youth sports advocate, educator and family man Joseph Crowley, who served for nearly four decades on the city’s School Committee between 1970 and 2011.

Crowley, a lifelong city resident who ran a flourishing real-estate business until his retirement, passed away peacefully earlier this month at age 86. He leaves behind his wife, Audrey, his two daughters, and five grandchildren who his closest relatives say were showered with the family patriarch’s “unfettered adoration.”

In a particularly moving moment, current School Committee Chair Ellen Crowley, who has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a staunch advocate for the city’s children, led the brief remembrance for her dad at the outset of last week’s meeting in the Joyce Middle School.

“Joe was a teacher at the Kennedy Junior High in the 1960s and served on the Woburn School Committee for 38 years from 1970 to 2011. And through this experience, he became a backbone to the committee in this very room that we’re standing here now,” said the School Committee chair, whose voice crackled with sorrow after getting through all but the last sentence of her statement with a calm poise.

“Good job, Ellen,” School Committee veterans Michael Mulrenan and Patricia Chisholm – both of whom served with her father – would later say encouragingly.

A father-of-two who was married for 51-years to lifelong resident Audrey (Devlin) Crowley at the time of his passing, Crowley became active in youth sports in his 20s, when he coached local Little League and Pop Warner teams. The former middle school educator, who also taught in neighboring Winchester, is also the founder of the city’s flourishing Woburn Youth Hockey program.

Earlier this month, during the City Council’s most recent meeting in City Hall, Ward 7 Councilor Charles Viola noted that many local citizens can attest to the impacts the middle school math teacher had on their early lives while playing sports.

“Today, we pause to remember a community pillar and lifelong resident of Woburn, Joe Crowley,” said Viola. “People often say that Joe was a positive impact in their lives from playing sports for him. Joe was instrumental in organizing Woburn Youth Hockey when the hockey program was just getting started.”

“Joe went on to become an educator and finally ran for School Committee in 1969 and sat on the School Committee for 38 years. One could say that Joe was the backbone of the School Committee,” the West Side official added.

Notably, the veteran School Committee member before stepping down from the education board in 2011 was a major proponent of establishing “school parity” across the district by ensuring that all of the city’s children were learning in modern-day facilities and supported the first wave of school construction projects in the city that resulted in most elementary facilities and a new high school being built.

Named chairman of the local education board on 10 separate occasions during his tenure, the former Woburn Recreation Commission member always treated the business before the School Committee with the utmost seriousness. However, he was never beyond having a good laugh with colleagues.

In one such humorous exchange during his final official meeting on the School Committee back in December of 2011, his peers – known for ribbing the “elder” statesman about his age – carefully positioned a box of tissues in front of Crowley’s microphone in case he got too “choked up.”

“Looking back, it occurred to me that I may never have publicly thanked my family, especially my wife Audrey, for putting up with all the missed dinners and events, phone calls, late meetings, and interrupted vacations and for all the support and encouragement she and my daughters gave me over the years,” the Boston College alumnus would later say before that final meeting adjourned. “Of all the boards that I’ve served on, I consider this present group to be one of the best. We have our debates and different opinions, and sometimes even a snit or two, but we usually reach a consensus and come together as one voice to do what’s best for those 4,000-plus students who depend on us.”

Crowley’s funeral was held at St. Charles Church on Dec. 15 and he was later laid to rest at Woodbrook Cemetery. Those who wish to make a remembrance in his honor are asked to make donations to the Woburn Community Education Foundation or Woburn Historical Society.

Event Standouts

Matt Barnes Defensive Spotlight

Additional Event Standouts

SALINEVILLE – Southern Local Schools will soon implement a campaign in partnership with the Columbiana County Educational Service Center to inform students that “YOU Matter Here.”

District Federal Programs Coordinator Kristy Sampson said plans will begin in January to begin brainstorming strategies which stress students’ importance in both the school and the community. The project stems from a developmental asset survey from the Search Institute conducted by the Columbiana County ESC and involving junior high and high school students countywide who are between the ages of 12 to 18. The developmental assets are building blocks for healthy development to help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.

“Columbiana County ESC partners with the guidance counselors to conduct the asset survey every couple of years with students to determine which of the developmental assets the students have developed and which assets the students need support with. They are going to do a campaign kickoff this year entitled, ‘YOU Matter Here,’ to focus on the main asset categories or pillars identified as areas of need based on student responses, and they are encouraging school districts to review the data and find ways to implement the ‘YOU Matter Here’ concepts with their youth.”

Sampson added that the survey data indicated three main pillars, or categories, where students’ responses indicated a need for support: sense of belonging and self-identity; parental presence and power; and community involvement. The campaign aims to boost awareness and positivity, and she will coordinate a stakeholders’ meeting over the next month to begin planning for implementation at Southern Local.

“We’ll host a meeting with stakeholders to look at our county data and district specific data to move forward in supporting our students. We will work with Melissa Galbreath, the lead for the Columbiana County “YOU Matter Here” campaign to begin our process. This is the first time we’ve done this campaign,” she continued, saying one aspect may be to seek the development of a third space for kids to find enrichment and support. “Research shows that kids who have positive environments outside of home and school possess more of the positive developmental assets.”

But more discussion will be needed before efforts get underway.

“We can plan activities and supports to help our kids here at Southern Local realize they matter here in our buildings, they matter here in our classrooms, and they matter here in our extra-curricular activities as well as in the community,” Sampson said.

Any community member interested in becoming involved with the planning process may contact Sampson at the administrative office by calling 330-679-2343, Ext. 4203, or email kristy.sampson@slindians.org.

According to the latest information shared by Rodra via ESPN, there is a growing belief that Jacobo Ramon is destined to return to Real Madrid sooner rather than later.

The journalist mentions that the former youth team defender’s development in Italy has not gone unnoticed.

Advertisement

Currently plying his trade with Como, under Cesc Fabregas, Ramon has taken major steps forward this season, both in terms of responsibility and consistency.

In fact, he has grown into a genuine defensive leader despite being just 20 years old.

His composure, reading of the game, and ability to organise the back line have made him a key figure in Como’s defensive structure.

A smart buy-back option

It is said that Real Madird have been closely monitoring their young centre-backs, aware that defensive renewal is an issue that must be addressed carefully over the coming seasons.

While external signings often grab headlines, Madrid remain committed to developing solutions from within, and Ramon is now firmly part of that conversation.

Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Jacobo Ramon. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Advertisement

One of the key factors keeping Madrid relaxed is the contractual control they still hold.

The club included a buy-back option worth around €8 million, which can be activated next summer.

That clause gives Madrid a clear and affordable pathway to bring him back once they feel the timing is right.

Inside Valdebebas, there is a strong sense that this return is not a question of “if”, but “when”.

What makes Ramon’s case particularly compelling is how quickly he has adapted to senior football away from Spain.

Now, with defensive planning already underway, Ramon is increasingly seen as a natural solution, one who knows the club, understands its demands, and is proving himself step by step at the highest level.

Youth athletes looking to improve their technique, mechanics and confidence may find a new home with Pahrump Valley Junior Athletics.

Recently launched by local coach David Wilson, a lead instructor for the Pahrump Valley Junior Golf Association, Wilson’s vision is simple — build strong athletes. Build confident kids. Build a powerful future for Pahrump.

“Our mission is to develop well-rounded, disciplined, confident young athletes who are building the future of our community,” Wilson said. “We train them in a variety of areas, from speed, power, and agility to hand-eye coordination, endurance, and flexibility. The idea is to start younger so that kids have a strong foundation as they move into middle and high school athletics.”

The program comes as part of a broader effort to engage kids in sports early, addressing a common challenge many coaches have seen in Pahrump: students entering middle and high school sports with limited experience and preparation.

Aiming to serve kids in first through twelfth grade, Wilson draws on his years of coaching and playing experience.

From high school and college basketball to local youth programs, Wilson believes starting early is key.

In addition to group sessions, individual training will be available, with plans to work closely with local high school coaches to ensure that kids are prepared for the expectations of middle and high school athletics.

The program will begin this summer at the Pahrump Valley High School track and field, with sessions expected to run three to four times a week.

Fees are still being finalized, but organizers are committed to making the program affordable for all families, with memberships and discounts for multiple sessions.

Wilson’s inspiration comes from a lifelong love of sports and teaching.

Having played basketball at Bakersfield College, Crete Nebraska and coaching for three years at Pahrump Valley High School, Wilson understands the value of positive coaching and mentorship.

“I had coaches who were amazing teachers, and they shaped not just how I approached sports, but how I approached life,” Wilson said. “I want to bring that same experience to the kids here in Pahrump.”

With strong community support, Wilson is optimistic about the program’s impact.

“The community here is awesome — supportive, caring, and invested in their kids. We just want to give back and help kids grow, have fun, and succeed,” he said.

For parents and young athletes eager to get started, the program promises a mix of structured training, skill-building, and, most importantly, enjoyment of sports.

“By the end of the day, it’s about creating a culture where kids want to come, want to play and feel successful,” Wilson said.

To inquire about the program, contact David Wilson at pvjuniorathletics@gmail.com

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.