The world's most valuable sports teams

These are boom times for pro sports owners as they capitalise on their greatest financial advantage: DVR-proof appointment television in a fractured broadcast market. Franchises around the globe are awash in cash thanks to multibillion-dollar media deals. The world’s 50 most valuable teams are now worth an average $1.75 billion, up 31 percent from last year. The minimum valuation to make the cut is $1.15 billion (versus $856 million a year ago), thanks largely to the soaring worth of National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The top 50 include 22 MLB franchises, compared with 10 in 2014. The National Football League (NFL) and MLB are hot now, but the world’s most valuable team still resides in Spain. Real Madrid ranks fi rst for the third year at $3.26 billion, edging out Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, tied for second at $3.2 billion. (The value of the Spanish soccer powerhouse is down 5 percent, however, due to the decline of the euro against the dollar.)