The Broncos were among the most valuable sports franchises in the world, according to Forbes’ latest rankings. (Julio Cortez, Associated Press file)
Colorado’s presence in Forbes’ 2014 list of the is hard to miss.
Although European soccer clubs again beat out American teams for the top three spots on the annual ranking, Arsenal, whose largest shareholder is Stan Kroenke, came in at No. 16 with an estimated value of $1.331 billion. Pat Bowlen’s Broncos took the No. 25 spot, with a valuation of $1.161 billion.
Real Madrid ($3.44 billion), Barcelona ($3.2 billion), Manchester United ($2.81 million) took the top three spots, respectively. The New York Yankees, the top-ranked MLB team, came in a No. 4 ($2.5 billion), while the Cowboys ($2.3 billion) ranked No. 5 as the most valuable NFL franchise.
Arsenal from last year’s ranking of No. 10, as the team’s value dipped by $194 million. The Broncos also fell, from No. 22 in 2013, although their value actually increased by $29 million.
The Broncos have earned top spots on a number of rankings this offseason, thanks primarily to their 38-year-old star quarterback.
Last month, Sports Illustrated and Fortune released their rankings of the highest-paid American athletes, and Broncos quarterback after reeling in $37.5 million in salary and endorsements last year, up from No. 8 the previous year.
And last week, NFL Network released the top 10 names on its countdown of the top 100 current NFL players, as voted by their peers. .
Complete 2014 Forbes rankings
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2014 RankTeamOwnerValue (bil)Sport2013 Rank1.Real MadridClub members$3.44Soccer12.BarcelonaClub members$3.2Soccer33.Manchester UnitedGlazer family$2.81Soccer24.New York YankeesSteinbrenner family$2.5MLB45.Dallas CowboysJerry Jones$2.3NFL56.Los Angeles DodgersGuggenheim Baseball$2.0MLB77.Bayern MunichClub members$1.85Soccer128.New England PatriotsRobert Kraft$1.8NFL69.Washington RedskinsDaniel Snyder$1.7NFL810.New York GiantsJohn Mara, Steven Tisch$1.55NFL911.Boston Red SoxJohn Henry, Thomas Werner$1.5MLB1112.Houston TexansRobert McNair$1.45NFL1313.New York KnicksMadison Square Garden$1.4NBA23 (tied)14.New York JetsRobert Wood Johnson IV$1.38NFL1415.Los Angeles LakersJerry Buss Family Trusts, Philip Anschutz$1.35NBA31 (tied)16.ArsenalE. Stanley Kroenke$1.331Soccer1017.Philadelphia EaglesJeffrey Lurie$1.314NFL1518.Chicago BearsMcCaskey family$1.252NFL1619.Baltimore RavensStephen Bisciotti$1.227NFL1920.San Francisco 49ersDenise DeBartolo York, John York$1.224NFL1721. (tie)Chicago CubsRicketts family$1.2 MLB31 (tied)21. (tie)FerrariFiat Group$1.2Formula One Racing2121. (tie)Indianapolis ColtsJames Irsay$1.2NFL2024.Green Bay Packersshareholder-owned$1.183NFL1825.Denver BroncosPat Bowlens$1.161NFL22
