NFL coaches, players and fans look to the win-loss column to evaluate their team’s performance. NFL owners do the same, but there’s another metric keen to their eye.
Team valuation. That is to say, how much is the franchise worth?
Exponential growth in fanfare, television contracts, ticket value, and advertising has led to a sustained economic boom for the NFL. So where do the Minnesota Vikings fit into all of this?
Let’s take a look.
How Much are the Minnesota Vikings Worth?
On September 5, CNBC unveiled its first ever official NFL Team Valuations report.
The Vikings, listed in the report as being worth $6.06 billion, come in ranked 19th, just behind the Kansas City Chiefs ($6.07 billion) and slightly ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6.05 billion).
For comparison’s sake, here’s where fellow NFC North teams rank:
- 10th – Chicago Bears ($6.4 billion)
- 12th – Green Bay Packers ($6.3 billion)
- 29th – Detroit Lions ($5.4 billion)
The rankings, which were compiled by CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian, factor in a team’s revenue, profit, and debt. The Dallas Cowboys come in ranked first in the NFL with a valuation of $11 billion, while the Cincinnati Bengals are ranked last at $5.25 billion.
The average worth of a NFL team is $6.49 billion.
The Vikings Path to $6 Billion
When the Wilf family purchased the Vikings from Red McCombs in 2005, the organization was in a different place – both literally and figuratively. Despite being in the country’s 15th-largest television market, the organization operated like a small-market team.
The practice facility was aging and undersized, located in the suburb of Eden Prairie. The team played its home games in the similarly outdated Metrodome, which offered a tremendous home-field advantage but was completely inadequate in the continually advancing age of advertising and technology.
While it took almost a decade of constant posturing and negotiating with local and state leaders and lawmakers, the Vikings finally reached a deal to build a brand-new stadium. Construction was completed in June of 2016, in time for the Vikings to play there that season.
In subsequent years, the Vikings built a new practice facility in Eagan, Minnesota, and then hosted Super Bowl 52 in their new building, U.S. Bank Stadium.
Spinning it forward to 2024 and factoring in other beneficial financial considerations for the franchise, the Vikings’ valuation has skyrocketed under the Wilfs’ ownership.