Thursday, Feb. 02, 2012

They Are the Sixth Most Valuable Sports Franchise in the World

Thanks to spiking television ad sales and apparently recession-proof ticket sales, the NFL is easily the world's most lucrative sport. On Forbes' list of the 50 most valuable teams, all 32 NFL franchises make the cut. With a reported worth of $1.4 billion in 2011, the New England Patriots are the sixth most valuable team in the world, and third in the NFL, behind the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Patriots' owner Robert Kraft, who bought the team in 1994, has seen quite a stunning return on his investment. Kraft, a business magnate and himself among the top 300 richest people in the U.S., bought the team for $175 million. Six conference championships and three Super Bowl titles, coupled with Tom Brady's record-setting leadership at quarterback, have only served to boost the team's value.