The Cowboys have earned the highest valuation of any NFL team in each of the six years Sportico has released its annual list.
San Francisco's valuation represents a 25% increase from last year, underscoring the team's strong brand value.
The 49ers led the NFL in ticket sales for the third straight year, generating $176 million—a staggering $40 million more than the Cowboys, who ranked second with $136 million. These figures are calculated after local taxes but before the 34% revenue share distributed among NFL clubs.
Across the league, the average NFL franchise value is now $7.13 billion, a 20% jump from 2024. This growth has been fueled in part by the NFL's recent decision to allow the sale of minority ownership stakes. Earlier this year, a group of investors acquired a 6.2% stake in the 49ers at the current $8.6 billion valuation.
Despite their impressive valuation and revenue numbers, the 49ers ranked last in the NFL in net profit for 2024, earning just $80 million—a fraction of the Cowboys' league-leading $490 million. Sportico attributes San Francisco's low profit margin to high cash player costs in 2024.