Royals’ value is now just short of $1 billion, says Forbes
The Royals moved up one spot in the latest Forbes valuations of Major League Baseball teams.
Forbes estimated the Royals are worth $950 million, which ranked them 24th in baseball. A year ago, Forbes ranked the Royals 25th with a value of $865 million.
David Glass bought the Royals for $96 million in 2000, a fact that is certain to be noted by some fans. But Forbes also noted that the Royals had a net operating loss of $900,000 in 2016. Only five teams had an operating loss last season, according to Forbes.
“The 2015 World Series title helped boost sponsorship,” Forbes wrote about the Royals. “The team added 21 new partners and renewed 11 others to push sponsorship revenue up 22 percent. The team has nearly 150 sponsors, including radio-only ones.”
The New York Yankees are valued at $3.7 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers ($2.75 billion), the Boston Red Sox ($2.7 billion) and the Chicago Cubs ($2.675 billion). The average franchise is worth $1.54 billion, which is a 19 percent increase from 2016.
“Values were driven higher by new local television deals that are increasing at roughly a two-fold rate, surging profitability, and the escalating value of Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the Internet and technology arm of MLB,” wrote Forbes’ Mike Ozanian.
Forbes baseball valuation
| Rank | Team | Current Value | 1-Yr Value Change | Debt/Value | Revenue | Operating Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York Yankees | $3.7 B | 9% | 0% | $526 M | $39 M |
| #2 | Los Angeles Dodgers | $2.75 B | 10% | 15% | $462 M | $-20.5 M |
| #3 | Boston Red Sox | $2.7 B | 17% | 0% | $434 M | $78.6 M |
| #4 | Chicago Cubs | $2.675 B | 22% | 16% | $434 M | $83.8 M |
| #5 | San Francisco Giants | $2.65 B | 18% | 0% | $428 M | $78.1 M |
| #6 | New York Mets | $2 B | 21% | 15% | $332 M | $31.7 M |
| #7 | St. Louis Cardinals | $1.8 B | 12% | 13% | $310 M | $40.5 M |
| #8 | Los Angeles Angels | $1.75 B | 31% | 0% | $350 M | $68.1 M |
| #9 | Philadelphia Phillies | $1.65 B | 34% | 5% | $325 M | $87.7 M |
| #10 | Washington Nationals | $1.6 B | 23% | 21% | $304 M | $37.6 M |
| #11 | Texas Rangers | $1.55 B | 27% | 10% | $298 M | $18.6 M |
| #12 | Atlanta Braves | $1.5 B | 28% | 14% | $275 M | $15.2 M |
| #13 | Houston Astros | $1.45 B | 32% | 19% | $299 M | $75.9 M |
| #14 | Seattle Mariners | $1.4 B | 17% | 0% | $289 M | $11.6 M |
| #15 | Chicago White Sox | $1.35 B | 29% | 7% | $269 M | $41.9 M |
| #16 | Toronto Blue Jays | $1.3 B | 44% | 0% | $278 M | $22.9 M |
| #17 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $1.25 B | 28% | 8% | $265 M | $51 M |
| #18 | Detroit Tigers | $1.2 B | 4% | 14% | $275 M | $-36.4 M |
| #19 | Baltimore Orioles | $1.175 B | 18% | 15% | $253 M | $-2.1 M |
| #20 | Arizona Diamondbacks | $1.15 B | 24% | 12% | $253 M | $47.2 M |
| #21 | San Diego Padres | $1.125 B | 26% | 16% | $259 M | $22.8 M |
| #22 | Minnesota Twins | $1.025 B | 13% | 20% | $249 M | $29.9 M |
| #23 | Colorado Rockies | $1 B | 16% | 8% | $248 M | $26.6 M |
| #24 | Kansas City Royals | $950 M | 10% | 8% | $246 M | $-0.9 M |
| #25 | Miami Marlins | $940 M | 39% | 22% | $206 M | $-2.2 M |
| #26 | Milwaukee Brewers | $925 M | 6% | 8% | $239 M | $58.2 M |
| #27 | Cleveland Indians | $920 M | 15% | 11% | $271 M | $46.9 M |
| #28 | Cincinnati Reds | $915 M | 1% | 11% | $229 M | $15.9 M |
| #29 | Oakland Athletics | $880 M | 21% | 9% | $216 M | $25.5 M |
| #30 | Tampa Bay Rays | $825 M | 27% | 17% | $205 M | $32.1 M |
Pete Grathoff: 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
This story was originally published April 11, 2017 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Royals’ value is now just short of $1 billion, says Forbes."