Clayton: Forbes latest valuation signals that the Broncos will be sold
Aug 9, 2021, 3:05 PM
Forbes came out last week with their annual report for the value of NFL franchises. Despite the fact that revenue was down between $3 billion and $4 billion, the values of the franchises rose 14 percent.
There are a lot of reasons for this happening. The NFL added a 17th game. That helps for revenue. Teams will get more and more each from sports betting. Television contracts will start to soar next year.
The Dallas Cowboys are now worth $6.5 billion and had operating income of $280.4 million. The New England Patriots were second at $5 billion and had $142 million of operating income. The New York Giants were third at $4.85 billion and the Los Angeles Rams were fourth at $4.8 billion.
So what about the Broncos?
The Broncos went from $3.2 billion to $3.75 billion. They had an operating income of $8.2 million. With that type of increase, it points to the possibility Bowlen family might be more poised to sell the team after this season. That’s a lot of money to pass up and it’s not out of the question the family could be more than $3.75 billion.
Denver is such a good football market with great fans and great tradition. Thanks to George Paton, the team is more talented and should have a chance to make a run to a wild card berth.
Of course, so much of that depends on who wins the starting quarterback battle and how well the winner does. At the moment, Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater are even. No one has separated from the other.
What’s interesting is how much more valuable the Broncos are compared to the three other teams in the AFC West. The Broncos rank as the 10th most valuable team in the NFL. The next team is the Las Vegas Raiders who are at the No. 16 spot at $3.415 billion. The Kansas City Chiefs have been to the last two Super Bowls and have Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, they rank 22nd at $2.93 billion. Despite moving into a great new stadium in Los Angeles, the Chargers are 23rd at $2.929 billion.
It is pretty easy to see the Broncos are a valuable property in the NFL.
