No. 1 Manchester
Football
$1.8 billion
An annual powerhouse with a true global brand, Man-U fetched the highest price ever for a sports franchise when Malcolm Glazier forked over $1.45 billion for it in 2005.
No. 2
American Football
$1.6 billion
No. 3 Washington
American Football
$1.5 billion
No. 4 New England Patriots
American Football
$1.32 billion
No. 5 New York
Baseball
$1.3 billion
No. 6 Real Madrid
Football
$1.29 billion
A winner of nine European Championship Cups, Real Madrid rakes in close to half a billion dollars in annual revenue. Its 62-year-old stadium--Santiago Bernabéu--has been heavily renovated over the years, with capacity trimmed from a peak of 120,000 to 80,000. Like American baseball, European soccer is moving to a model that emphasizes revenue per seat over maximum attendance.
No. 7 Arsenal
Football
$1.2 billion
The club founded in 1886 took in $329 million in revenue last year. Three-year-old Emirates Stadium, which seats over 60,000, includes 7,139 club level seats sold in one to four year licenses and over 150 boxes where seats start at $87,000 annually (65,000 euros). The naming rights deal with Emirate Airlines is worth $133 million (100 million euros) over eight years.
No. 8 New York
American Football
$1.18 billion
No. 9 New York
American Football
$1.17 billion
No. 10 Houston
American Football
$1.17 billion
