Stadium Deal Helps Boost Vikings’ Value 22%
The Minnesota Vikings had the biggest year-over-year percent increase in value among all NFL teams—a jump in value that came after the team landed a financing deal for a new $975 million stadium.
In fact, the Vikings are now worth $975 million, up 22 percent from last year, according to annual franchise valuations recently published by Forbes.
Despite having the largest year-over-year percent gain, the Vikings ranked 22nd among all teams based on total value. That’s up significantly from last year, though, when the team ranked 28th with a valuation of $796 million. Forbes said that its valuations represent “enterprise values based on multiples of revenue.”
Owner Zygi Wilf bought the Vikings in 2005 for $600 million, according to Forbes. The team has won no championships, and it generated an estimated $227 million in revenue and $7.2 million in operating income last year.
Forbes pointed out that the new Vikings stadium will be financed by $477 million from the team and the NFL, $348 million from the state, and $150 million from Minneapolis. Although the team is currently less valuable than many in the league, it could generate an additional $40 million a year once the new stadium is built, Forbes said.
The Dallas Cowboys topped Forbes’ list with a value of $2.1 billion. The New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins rounded out the top three with valuations of $1.64 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively.
The least valuable NFL team is the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is worth $770 million, according to Forbes.
Meanwhile, the average NFL team is now worth $1.1 billion, up 7 percent from last year.
For more specific data about the Vikings, click here. To view Forbes’ complete list of NFL teams, click here.