Panthers rank among most valuable sports team on planet

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers made Forbes annual top 50 list of the most valuable sports teams in the world.

The team ranked No. 37, with a value of over $2 billion. The cutoff to qualify for the list this year was $1.75 billion.

The Dallas Cowboys are tops on the list, worth $4.2 billion, followed by the New York Yankees at $3.7 billion.

Forbes said soaring TV contracts were the reason for the rising franchise values, as well as new labor deals.

No sports league is as profitable as the NFL, where the average team earned an operating profit of $91 million and no one banked less than $26 million.

Below is the full Top 50 list:

Rank, Team, Value, 1-Yr change (Sport)

1. Dallas Cowboys, $4.2 billion, 5% (NFL)

2. New York Yankees, $3.7 billion, 9% (MLB)

3. Manchester United, $3.69 billion, 11% (Soccer)

4. Barcelona, $3.64 billion, 2% (Soccer)

5. Real Madrid, $3.58 billion, -2% (Soccer)

6. New England Patriots, $3.4 billion, 6% (NFL)

7. New York Knicks, $3.3 billion, 10% (NBA)

8. New York Giants, $3.1 billion, 11% (NFL)

9. San Francisco 49ers, $3 billion, 11% (NFL)

9. Los Angeles Lakers, $3 billion, 11% (NBA)

11. Washington Redskins, $2.95 billion, 4% (NFL)

12. Los Angeles Rams, $2.9 billion, 100% (NFL)

13. New York Jets, $2.75 billion, 6% (NFL)

13. Los Angeles Dodgers, $2.75 billion, 10% (MLB)

15. Bayern Munich, $2.71 billion, 1% (Soccer)

16. Chicago Bears, $2.7 billion, 10% (NFL)

16. Boston Red Sox, $2.7 billion, 17% (MLB)

18. Chicago Cubs, $2.68 billion, 22% (MLB)

19. San Francisco Giants, $2.65 billion, 18% (MLB)

20. Houston Texans, $2.6 billion, 4% (NFL)

20. Golden State Warriors, $2.6 billion, 37% (NBA)

22. Philadelphia Eagles, $2.5 billion, 4% (NFL)

22. Chicago Bulls, $2.5 billion, 9% (NBA)

24. Denver Broncos, $2.4 billion, 24% (NFL)

25. Miami Dolphins, $2.38 billion, 28% (NFL)

26. Green Bay Packers, $2.35 billion, 21% (NFL)

27. Baltimore Ravens, $2.3 billion, 19% (NFL)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers, $2.25 billion, 18% (NFL)

29. Seattle Seahawks, $2.25 billion, 19% (NFL)

30. Minnesota Vikings, $2.2 billion, 38% (NFL)

30. Boston Celtics, $2.2 billion, 5% (NBA)

32. Indianapolis Colts, $2.18 billion, 16% (NFL)

33. Atlanta Falcons, $2.13 billion, 27% (NFL)

34. Oakland Raiders, $2.1 billion, 47% (NFL)

35. Manchester City, $2.083 billion, 8% (Soccer)

36. Los Angeles Chargers, $2.08 billion, 36% (NFL)

37. Carolina Panthers, $2.075 billion, 33% (NFL)

38. Arizona Cardinals, $2.025 billion, 31% (NFL)

39. Tennessee Titans, $2 billion, 34% (NFL)

39. Los Angeles Clippers, $2 billion, 0% (NBA)

39. New York Mets, $2 billion, 21% (MLB)

42. Jacksonville Jaguars, $1.95 billion, 32% (NFL)

43. Arsenal, $1.93 billion, -4% (Soccer)

44. Kansas City Chiefs, $1.88 billion, 23% (NFL)

45. Cleveland Browns, $1.85 billion, 23% (NFL)

46. Chelsea, $1.845 billion, 11% (Soccer)

47. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $1.8 billion, 19% (NFL)

47. Brooklyn Nets, $1.8 billion, 6% (NBA)

47. St Louis Cardinals, $1.8 billion, 12% (MLB)

50. New Orleans Saints, $1.75 billion, 16% (NFL)

50. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, $1.75 billion, 31% (MLB)

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