Throughout the course of a year, Forbes compiles lists of the dollar values for every franchise in the four major sports leagues in America.
Since September 2009, Forbes posted their annual valuations of the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB franchises.
The dollar amounts Forbes valued each franchise in every sports league are as follows:
* 30 MLB clubs have a combined value of $14.74 billion as of April 2010.
* 30 NBA clubs have a combined value of $11.01 billion as of December 2009.
* 30 NHL clubs have a combined value of $6.677 billion as of November 2009.
* 32 NFL clubs have a combined value of $33.365 billion as of September 2009.
The total combined values of all the franchises in the four major sports leagues in America is $65.792 billion.
Those franchise values don’t represent all of the residual revenues created by businesses that provide services for every organization.
One franchise has a huge impact on local economies.
Parking, concessions, uniforms, equipment, tickets, cleaning services and security are some of the hundreds, if not thousands of jobs that each franchise can potentially create.
In a category almost unto itself, television networks require dozens of employees to broadcast every game played.
Think how many people have jobs on Sunday afternoons during the NFL season.
At stadiums around America, it’s a safe bet over 1,000 people are performing jobs that are a direct result of NFL franchises.
Sports franchises pay taxes too. Teams in every league could ostensibly provide the dollars needed for new classrooms, roads and bridges.
The next time someone suggests that sports don’t mean much, just tell them they only mean $65 billion, needed tax dollars and thousands of jobs.
I’m thinking that will shut them up.
